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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25889977">We Keep Going in Dizzying Circles, Will it Ever Stop?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackwolf066/pseuds/blackwolf066'>blackwolf066</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Things We Didn't Do (Season 2 Au's/Fix-its) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2x06 fix it, 2x07 fix it, AU, Alternate Season/Series 02, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Klaus Hargreeves, Episode Fix-it, Explicit Language, Fix it of sorts, Gen, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus and ben have more time to talk in the elevator, Luther tries to be a good brother, No Incest, Possession, Post-Possession, but it's not every single sentence so it's not too bad, consent issues but mostly about said possession, klaus and ben both need to apologize to each other, language used under distress and anger mostly, luther doesn't drag klaus off by the ankle, season 02 fix-it, the elevator rewrite, the elevator scene, they get home sooner, what if, what if they made it in time to use the briefcase</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:56:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,315</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25889977</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackwolf066/pseuds/blackwolf066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if, Klaus and Ben had more time to talk in the elevator after everyone left. What if, Luther actually overheard parts of Klaus’ side of things, and decided to take it seriously instead of just dragging him off by the ankle?</p><p>What-if, due to these changes, they managed to make it in time to use the briefcase and get home?</p><p>((This is now a Season 2 canon-divergent fanfic))</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Allison Hargreeves &amp; Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves &amp; Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves &amp; Luther Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves &amp; Luther Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy &amp; Vanya Hargreeves, Raymond Chestnut/Allison Hargreeves, Sissy Cooper/Vanya Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Things We Didn't Do (Season 2 Au's/Fix-its) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870822</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>816</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. We Keep Going in Circles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>((((Klaus and Ben were both in the wrong this season… I love them, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not blind to their faults either. Both of them need to apologize and while I don't really do that in this piece (I'm still debating on making this a two-shot), this is still my fix it of that scene cause Klaus was clearly no okay and I'm not happy that everyone ignored that</p><p>Also, I guess you could say that everything past this point is different; which makes this more of an AU.</p><p>Anyway, enjoy!!</p><p>--Tumblr account is (black-wolf066)))))</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was cold.</p><p>Oh, so very cold—the burning chill continuing to pump through his bloodstream and freeze everything it touched.</p><p>He was also in excruciating pain.</p><p>Klaus couldn’t tell you how he managed to get off the floor without keeling over, or how he managed to drag his uncooperative body to the elevator doors, after the disaster the dinner had been.</p><p>The cold continued to attack his nerve endings, his body heavy and cumbersome as he shuffled to the back of the lift. The world spun in nauseating circles, and his stomach flipped and revolted with each jarring step he took—the elevator bouncing with the added weight as everyone boarded, and causing him to topple as he lost his balance.</p><p>He groaned as his shoulder hit the metal, a blinding pain shooting across his skull as the headache, he hadn’t even known he had, finally presented itself. He had no strength left to stay standing, turning and sliding down the wall until he was a heaped mess of limbs on the metal floor.</p><p>Klaus could admit that he’s had some pretty bad trips in the past, but nothing was as bad as how he felt right now. Even the agony of his skull cracking open on the dance floor, and <em>dying</em>, didn’t feel as bad as how he was feeling right now.</p><p>This…</p><p>This was worse than all his past overdoses.</p><p>This was worse than death itself.</p><p>The lift jarred as it began to descend, and Klaus very nearly threw up right then and there as his world continued to spin in dizzying circles.</p><p>Jesus Christ, what the<em> hell</em> did Ben do to him?</p><p>As the lift stopped, and the last member of their family stepped out and into the lobby; Klaus remained behind—willing the metal under his ass to just swallow him into oblivion. An oblivion where the pain and nausea wouldn’t follow.</p><p>Or so he hoped.</p><p>Knowing his luck, oblivion would be a whole lot worse.</p><p>Spotting Ben shaking his head from the corner of his eye, Klaus rolled his heavy head to look at him and seethed.</p><p>“Fuck you, Ben!”</p><p>“Grow up, Klaus.”</p><p>“No! No, I won’t!” he shot back; ignoring the spikes of pain the volume of his own voice was doing to his head. Weakly his hand shot up to point an accusing finger at Ben—his muscles feeling like the damn Jell-O Elliott had tried to feed to them. “You had no goddamn right to take over my body! None! Zilch! And now—no thanks to you—everyone is fucking mad at me again!”</p><p>Neither of them heard the lumbering footsteps that froze just out of view from the still opened elevator; nor did they notice the hand that kept the doors open.</p><p>Ben rolled his eyes skyward with a drawn-out huff; crossed arms flopping to his sides as he pivoted to stare him down. “Oh, you do that <em>well enough on your own</em>, Klaus.”</p><p>“But this time it wasn’t <em>my fault</em>!”</p><p>“You sure about that?” Ben contended. “Cause I'm pretty sure, this whole mess could have been avoided if you had just spoken up! But no, you wouldn't do it. So I did because one of us had too!" He threw his hands up in aggravation. "And I didn't<em> take</em> your body, Klaus, I <em>borrowed </em>it!" </p><p>“That's rich!" Klaus scoffed. "Fuck you and fuck your <em>borrowed</em> too! You didn’t borrow anything!” he roared; then promptly winced as the pain and nausea spiked again. “You <em>took</em>! You took it over without my consent!”</p><p>“You wanna talk about consent?”</p><p>“<em>Yeah,</em> I wanna talk about <em>consent</em>!”</p><p>“<em>Okay</em>, we’ll talk about consent.” Ben bent down to be eye level with Klaus. “Where was <em>my</em> consent when you <em>continuously</em> kept telling our family that I’m not fucking here?!” Ben argued. “You had your chance to tell them, <em>several times</em>, Klaus! Several times! Like right up-fucking-there!” he pointed up to the ceiling—to the disaster that light supper had become.</p><p>Klaus blinked back at Ben, the anger, and the hurt, and the booze, mixing in a nauseating cocktail with the after-effects of the…</p><p>Of the possession</p><p>Because apparently that was a thing he and the ghosts could do now.</p><p>God, if he hated his powers before, then this absolutely took that loathing to a whole new level.</p><p>His body <em>still</em> felt like it’d been stuck in the freezer for days—his blood and the booze fighting to warm him up and failing miserably. Not to mention, his muscles felt as if he’d been forced to run a marathon after being dumped in a tub of ice.</p><p>Fuck!</p><p>
  <em>Everything hurt.</em>
</p><p>And now, on top of all of that, he felt regret rearing its ugly head as Ben’s words settled themselves in his scattered thoughts.</p><p>The anger quickly won out in the end.</p><p>“Yeah, well,” he snorted scathingly. “That still doesn’t give you <em>permission</em> to take over my damn body, Ben!” he groaned as his stomach revolted and his head throbbed, once again. “<em>Fuck that smarts</em>!”</p><p>“I had no choice!”</p><p>“You had no choice?!” Klaus tittered sardonically—half-crazed from everything. “You had no choi—<em>you took my choice away </em>asshole!”</p><p>“Because <em>you </em>never gave me one in the first place!”</p><p>“Piss off, Ben! You still had <em>no goddamn right</em>!”</p><p>“Neither did you!” Ben bellowed back. “After three years of the two of us thinking they were dead, that they had moved on; don’t you think I deserve to talk to our family too?”</p><p>The anger fled out of Klaus as the exhaustion crept in; the pain flaring as he squeezed his eyes shut against the stars that burst across his sight.</p><p>Shit, he was definitely going to be feeling this for days.</p><p>Weakly, the fight no longer in him--ignoring the guilt gnawing and festering inside of him--he gazed jadedly back up at Ben and finished, “After everything we’ve been through, after everything you’ve—” he chocked, fighting back against the nauseating stomach acid and booze trying to crawl its way back up his throat. “After everything you’ve seen, while I—while <em>we</em> were on the streets. You just…” he trailed off. He was completely and utterly done with this shit. “Just go, Ben.”</p><p>“Klaus—”</p><p>“I said go!” He hissed and grabbed at his head. “<em>Damn it</em>!”</p><p>
  <em>Why was this his lot in life?</em>
</p><p>(***)</p><p>Outside of the Elevator, hidden with his arm still outstretched to keep the doors open; Luther couldn’t believe what he was hearing.</p><p>Ben? Ben was here? Klaus <em>had lied</em>--no big surprise there--and Ben had actually made it back with them?</p><p>He didn’t linger on that for long as the rest of the one-sided conversation continued; Luther zeroing in like a hawk.</p><p>
  <em>Consent?</em>
</p><p>What the hell?</p><p>Working with Jack had shown Luther a side of the world that—while he’d always known about it—had never truly experienced it until he started working at the club.</p><p>All those nights, when he’d have to kick one too many customers out because they didn’t understand that no truly meant <em>no</em>; and that the girls serving them their drinks, weren’t just being coy. He still remembers the night when Susan, just before she had quit—not being able to handle the constant harassment any longer—had snapped and cried herself hoarse. He remembers driving her home, the poor girl frightened that the asshole he’d kicked out would follow her back.</p><p>“—after everything you’ve seen, while I—while <em>we</em> were on the streets. You just…”</p><p>Luther remembers the tone he’d heard in her voice—the pain, the helplessness<em>, the defeat</em>—and couldn’t help but hear it mingling in the tone he could hear coming from Klaus right now.</p><p>“Just go, Ben.” There was a moment of silence. “I said go!”</p><p>It was only after he heard the hissed curse of pain that Luther finally stepped into the doorway and took a slow step inside.</p><p>“Klaus—”</p><p>“Oh my god, Ben! For the love of—” Klaus grouched and rolled his head back up, only to freeze when his eyes landed on him.</p><p>“Klaus, what’s going on?” Luther tried again, now that he had his brother’s attention.</p><p>Klaus tittered and waved his hand weakly at him--as if he were waving away his concern like he would a pesky fly buzzing around his head.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>Luther scowled. “Not happening.” His hand shot out to keep the doors from closing, before turning his full attention back to Klaus. “What happened?”</p><p>“You wouldn’t believe me.”</p><p>There it was again.</p><p>
  <em>That tone. </em>
</p><p>Susan flittered into his mind’s eye, seeing her with mascara and tears dripping down her face before the image flickered and Klaus was looking up at him instead; complexion paler than normal, and a bone-deep exhaustion etched all over his face.</p><p>With a sigh, allowing the doors to close and give them a semblance of privacy—Diego could wait for as long as this was going to take, Luther had the damn keys to his own car after all—he shifted until he was sitting on the floor beside Klaus.</p><p>“Why don’t you try me?”</p><p>“What’s there to tell?” Klaus countered; head slouched as if it were a herculean task to keep it up.</p><p>“I don’t know.” Luther shrugged. “Maybe start with how you’ve been lying this whole time about Ben?”</p><p>“I wasn’t lyin—” he cut himself off at the look Luther shot him. “<em>Alright</em>, he’s been here the whole time.”</p><p>“So, he was there for the reunion?”</p><p>Klaus weakly nodded.</p><p>“And he was here tonight?” Luther continued.</p><p>Klaus weakly nodded again.</p><p>“Is he here now?”</p><p>“For once the bastard listened to me.”</p><p>
  <em>“Klaus,”</em>
</p><p>Klaus tsked and flopped his hand at him, before wincing in pain.</p><p>“Did you take something?” Luther genuinely asked with concern, no hint of anger or disappointment in his voice as he leaned to meet Klaus’ eyes.</p><p>“<em>No,”</em> Klaus glared ruefully back. “Wish I had, would have made all of this easier to deal with…” he grumbled lowly under his breath; Luther straining to hear the muttered words.</p><p>“If you didn’t take anything, then, <em>what happened</em>?”</p><p>“Ben happened.”</p><p>Luther raised his eyebrow, “And?” he pushed for Klaus to elaborate when his brother remained stubbornly silent.</p><p>“And what?” Klaus grouched. “That’s what happened. Ben took over my damn body while we were up there and now I feel like shit.” He groaned and shuddered and muttered to himself again. "I need a bath after all of that."</p><p>Luther blinked owlishly, mouth opening and closing but no words tumbling out.</p><p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p><p>Luther had so many questions.</p><p><em>Too</em> <em>many questions.</em></p><p>“So that—”</p><p>“—Was Ben.” Klaus interrupted.</p><p>“When did you learn that he--that the ghosts could—” Luther gestured weakly at the air around him, still not really knowing or understanding how Klaus’ power worked. “—<em>do</em> that?”</p><p>“It was a recent development.” Klaus deadpanned, “0 out of 10, would <em>not </em>like to do that again.” he moaned as he held tight to his stomach.</p><p>Luther shifted slightly away at that. He’d already had one brother throw up on him; he really didn’t need another one doing the same.</p><p>“Why would Ben…” Luther trailed off, not knowing how to approach the topic when he didn’t know the full story. “Why would Ben… take over your body?” he had to bite his tongue to keep the ‘<em>what did you do now’</em> from escaping past his lips.</p><p>Klaus remained stubbornly quiet.</p><p>“<em>Klaus</em>?”</p><p>“I may… have been a bit of an ass.” He finally sighed out.</p><p>“You’re always an ass.” Luther shot back.</p><p>Klaus laughed before wincing once again, grumbling the sarcastic ‘<em>thanks’</em>, under his breath.</p><p>When Klaus didn’t say anything else, Luther sighed. “Klaus, I can’t help you, if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”</p><p>When the silence continued to stretch between them, Luther’s patience wore thin.</p><p>If Klaus didn’t want to talk about it,<em> then fine</em>; Luther wasn’t going to keep pushing.</p><p>“Look, I don’t know what all happened between you two, but it’s clear you both need to work it out,” Luther told him. “I don’t care if it’s your fault or his fault or<em> both</em> of your faults<em>. Work. It. Out.”</em></p><p>He pushed himself back up to his feet, the elevator shifting and causing Klaus to groan up at him with a weak glare.</p><p><em>“Stop moving,”</em> He whined.</p><p>Luther stared down at the pitiful mess that was his brother.</p><p>Klaus was clearly in no state to be by himself right now.</p><p>“Alright, up you get.”</p><p>Klaus whimpered. “Just leave me.”</p><p>“I hate to tell you, Klaus, but you can’t stay here. You want our father to find you?”</p><p><em>That</em> got more of a reaction out of him.</p><p>“<em>Damn it</em>.” He whined petulantly; head lolling. “<em>Fine.</em> Help me up.” Klaus caved as he reached out a hand for Luther to take.</p><p>The moment Klaus was on his feet, Luther kept his hand at Klaus’ elbow to keep him steady; the trek back to the car slow-moving.</p><p>"Took you long enough." Diego greeted the moment he saw them, faltering slightly when he saw Klaus practically being carried to the car. "Try not to throw up on the way home."</p><p>“Step a little closer, and I’ll do it right now.” Klaus sniped back.</p><p>“Nobody will be doing <em>anything.</em>” Luther cut in with a roll of his eyes. “But if you throw up on me,” Luther warned down at Klaus. “<em>I</em> <em>will drop you</em>, and you can walk."</p><p>"Aw," Klaus cooed weakly, his normal theatrics and sarcasm, dulled with his fatigue. "<em>Love you too, </em>big guy."</p><p>This was going to be a <em>long</em> night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Same Song and Dance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Five’s jaw ticked as he and Diego stared each other down, Luther floundering beside them. “We have Seventy-seven minutes Klaus. Be back here no later than that.”</p><p>Klaus waved his hand to signal he understood and turned for the door.</p><p>“I mean it, Klaus!”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Heard you the first time, you old goat.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(((((From here on out, this story is now completely canon-divergent from Season 2. I want to thank and give credit to DMCP, thesevenumbrellas (RosyPages), and i-seeaspaceshipinthe-sky (TJstar) for their help and some of the ideas they’ve given me. While I did have an outline already in place, they made it better/helped me through the hurdles that I couldn’t cross while trying to figure out how to proceed with this story. </p><p>Anyway, enjoy everyone!)))))</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The drive back to Elliott’s was surprisingly quiet; save for the occasional moan or groan from the back seats—when Luther couldn’t avoid a pothole in the street.</p><p>By the time they parked, Luther and Diego realized why as they stepped out and found Klaus had passed out sometime during the ride.</p><p>“I got him,” Diego grumbled, as he pulled the back door open and leaned in to shake Klaus awake. “What the fu—” he flinched back as his hands made contact with Klaus’ icy skin; colder than it had any right to be—even in the middle of November. He quickly fumbled his hand against Klaus’ neck for a pulse and breathed in relief when Klaus groaned, and unconsciously swatted at him. “Why is he so—”</p><p>“Cold?” Luther finished as he lumbered toward them. “I felt it too when I was helping him out of the elevator.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you say anything?!”</p><p>“Klaus always runs colder than the rest of us,” Luther defended himself. “I just thought it was normal, especially after—” he trailed off, not really knowing how to explain<em> that</em> to Diego when he himself didn’t understand it. “I’ll try and explain later, let’s just get him inside.”</p><p>In the time that Luther pulled Klaus out of the back and carried him up to Elliott’s door, Klaus didn’t stir once; groaning and muttering unintelligibly, but never showing any other signs that he was actually aware of where he was. He went through the door that Diego held open for him and turned to head for the bedroom when Diego grabbed his arm to stop him.</p><p>“Wha—” Luther paused as he followed Diego’s pointed knife, and found the droplets of blood on the floor.</p><p>With more caution to his steps, Luther entered the bedroom, doing a sweep to make sure the place was clear and safe before depositing Klaus on top of the sheets.</p><p>When he returned to the main room, he found Diego standing by Elliott’s body, the blood trail leading down to a message on the bottom floor.</p><p>“Ah, shit.” He muttered.</p><p>“You take this floor; I’ll take the bottom,” Diego ordered immediately as he headed for the stairs. “Whoever did this, we’ll figure it out.”</p><p>(***)</p><p>The first thing Klaus became aware of, was the stabbing pain in his skull and the bright light blaring into his closed eyelids. The second thing he became aware of, as he groaned and rolled away from the light, was that he was on top of something soft.</p><p>Then, everything from last night came slamming back, and Klaus jolted upright with a start; before wincing in regret as the world spun.</p><p>While he felt marginally better than he had last night, he still felt like absolute shit.</p><p>Blinking his eyes to adjust to the morning light streaming through the blinds, he took in his surroundings. He must be in—what was the guy’s name again? Evan, or was it, Christopher?</p><p>Klaus groaned.</p><p>It didn’t matter</p><p>All that mattered, was that Luther and Diego had taken him back to the former TV salesmen’s residence, and not the mansion. Taking another look around, Ben was nowhere to be found either.</p><p>Conversation from the main room, derailed him from going down that train of thought as he reluctantly got up and left the bedroom.</p><p><em>Wonder if there’s any more whiskey left.</em> Klaus mused to himself before pausing at the sight he was met with.</p><p>Luther spared him a glance at his entrance just as he draped a blanket over the body of—Ethan, Edward? <em>Elliott</em>! It was definitely Elliott!</p><p>“What… <em>happened</em>?” Klaus uttered as he made his way closer.</p><p>“Someone killed him last night.”</p><p>“While we were sleeping?”</p><p>Luther shook his head. “We found him when we came back.”</p><p>“Oh,” Klaus accepted with a slow nod; mind still sluggish and reeling from last night's events—let alone all of… <em>this</em>. “Do we know who?”</p><p>“The feds,” Diego answered quickly.</p><p>Luther rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t the feds.”</p><p>“That’s what they <em>want </em>you to think.” Diego retorted back.</p><p>Klaus just blinked owlishly at them both.</p><p>“Klaus, is Elliott—” Luther trailed off, gesturing around them vaguely with his hands.</p><p>Klaus took a look around, at the souls that were beginning to push back against his weakened mental barrier and shook his head. “Nope.” He cut Diego off before he could speak; turning to sit on the sofa, and veering off for the liquor bottle he spotted instead. “Either poor Elliott hasn’t manifested yet, or he moved on.”</p><p>“You’ll let us know if he shows up?” Luther questioned.</p><p>His answer came in the form of a lazy wave of Klaus’ hand as Klaus snatched the bottle off the shelf, and plopped with a grunt on the beat-up couch.</p><p>“Klaus.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah.” He waved lazily again; about to take a sip when it was rudely snatched from his grasp. “Hey!” He glared at Luther’s retreating back as Luther made his way over to Diego by the railing.</p><p>“Oga Foroga.” Diego uttered as they both looked down and ignored Klaus’ indignation. “Is that a name?”</p><p>“I’ll look her up.”</p><p>Klaus watched as they moved to the kitchen, Luther placing the liquor bottle down and snatching a phone book off the top of the fridge.</p><p>“Oga Foroga?” Klaus muttered to himself, refusing to get up as he continued to utter the name under his breath.</p><p>Oga Foroga?</p><p>Why did that sound familiar?</p><p>Klaus fought through the fog and the noise level of the ghosts beginning to crowd closer and realized why.</p><p>Oga For Oga.</p><p>An eye for an eye.</p><p>A grin stretched itself widely upon Klaus’ lips as he watched Diego and Luther huddle over the phone book.</p><p>He could say something. <em>He could</em>. But as they found a name and began to dial the number, Klaus stayed silent; wanting to see where their thought process took them.</p><p>The grin stretched even wider, a snort escaping as Diego ripped the phone out of Luther’s hands and began to threaten the unsuspecting victim on the other end.</p><p>The familiar sizzle of Five’s spatial-jump, followed by a faint, “Crap,” had Klaus turning just in time to see Five’s head peek above the stairs as he made his way quickly up them.</p><p>Klaus’ grin disappeared as he took in Five’s rumpled appearance; eyes trailing over the blood that splattered against the collar of his white shirt and neck as Five peeked underneath the blanket.</p><p>“Five?” Klaus called to him, as Five spared him a glance.</p><p>“Oh, good, you’re here.” He turned his attention to Luther and Diego, pulling on his tie as he walked closer to the kitchen. “It’s Oga For Oga, you idiots. Swedish for ‘an eye for an eye’.”</p><p>Klaus couldn’t contain it any longer, beside himself with amusement as Diego tried to save face with the poor old woman he’d just harassed on the phone.</p><p>“We would have gotten there eventually,” Luther muttered in defense as he eyed Klaus before rounding on Five with a wary expression. “What did you do now?”</p><p>Five ignored him and pushed into the opened bathroom.</p><p>“Something funny?” Diego griped at Klaus while Luther continued to talk to Five.</p><p>“Oga Foroga?” Klaus tittered as Diego loomed closer. “We learned seven languages as kids, and you two got Oga Foroga?”</p><p>“Shut up,” Luther grumbled in the background.</p><p>The sound of running water in the bathroom ceased—and cut off whatever colorful comment Diego was about to unleash—as Five told them all that he had a way for them to go home.</p><p>“What about Doomsday?” Diego questioned as Klaus stood and meandered his way back over toward the abandoned bottle.</p><p>“Won’t happen.”</p><p>“And the 2019 apocalypse?”</p><p>“Everything will be back to normal.”</p><p>Klaus snorted and unscrewed the cap.</p><p>When was anything in their family ever <em>normal</em>?</p><p>He grumbled as the bottle was snatched from his hand once again, this time by Five as he passed him.</p><p>“No more questions, we gotta go.”</p><p>“What about him?” Luther pointed toward Elliott.</p><p>“Bury him, just make it quick.” Five uttered as he rummaged through Elliott’s things.</p><p>“Not it.” Klaus called immediately.</p><p>He went ignored.</p><p>“You expect us to believe you?” Diego cut in, as he snatched up a clean shirt. “After you waltz in here covered in blood and no explanation? You expect us to <em>believe</em> that our timeline will just go back to normal?”</p><p>“Elliott just got killed because of us,” Five gestured in incredulity as he pulled something out of the box he was rummaging through.</p><p>“What about Dad? What about JFK?”</p><p>Luther and Klaus groaned in unison.</p><p>Five seethed.</p><p>“We don’t have time for this.”</p><p>“Then make time.”</p><p>Five thrust what looked like two of four watches in Luther and Diego’s direction as he scowled up at Diego. “We have a chance to go home, and make things right.” Five told him as he gave Klaus the third watch. “<em>We are taking it</em>.”</p><p>Silence descended as the four of them placed the watches on their wrists, Five watching Diego like a hawk as Diego began to slowly nod his head.</p><p>“I have to say goodbye to Lila.”</p><p>It was Five’s turn to groan, the frustration mounting as his eye twitched.</p><p>“You guys can work this out without me, yeah?” Klaus interrupted as he moved backward toward the door, palms up and fingers spread outward. “I’ll go get Allison.” he volunteered, only if it meant he didn’t have to help bury the body and listen to the rest of this argument any longer.</p><p>Five’s jaw ticked as he and Diego stared each other down, Luther floundering beside them. “We have Seventy-seven minutes Klaus. Be back here no later than that.”</p><p>Klaus waved his hand to signal he understood and turned for the door.</p><p>“I mean it, Klaus!”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Heard you the first time, you old goat.” with that Klaus snatched up a set of keys and left; the quarrel trailing into his ears as he went.</p><p>(***)</p><p>There were only two places Klaus could think to find Allison, so he stopped by the salon first; ignoring the confused looks as he entered the shop. When he didn’t see Allison among the women—and one of the stylists confirmed they hadn’t seen her—he turned and got back in the car to make his way to her house; pushing the speed limit slightly as the clock ticked downward.</p><p>He had just pulled up to the curb when he spotted her and Raymond making their way to the front door with groceries in their hands.</p><p>“Allison!”</p><p>“Klaus?” She startled as Klaus exited the car and jogged his way toward them. “Wha—”</p><p>“Five found a way for us to get home!” He cut her off.</p><p>With a quick look at Raymond’s astonished face, Allison gripped Klaus’ upper arm and forced him to walk with her up to the house; Raymond trailing quickly behind them.</p><p>“What do you mean, he found us a way home?” She asked the moment they were inside and away from prying ears.</p><p>“The little heathen wouldn’t give us the details. You know how he is.” Klaus stated offhandedly as he followed her and Raymond into the kitchen. “But we don’t have much time. We need to go. Now.” He told her, glancing at the watch on his wrist.</p><p>“Now?” she questioned disbelievingly; eyebrows raised as she pulled her head back slightly as if she’d been hit.</p><p>“What do you mean?” Raymond spoke up; bouncing his eyes between the two of them.</p><p>“We have forty-two minutes left.” Klaus elaborated.</p><p>“Forty-two minutes?!” Raymond and Allison exclaimed at once.</p><p>Klaus winced at the volume they added to the ghosts around him, his head still pounding.</p><p>“That doesn’t give—” Allison stared long and hard at Raymond; taking and squeezing his hand, and biting at her lower lip as she thought about the implications and weighed her options. “I could see Claire again…” she uttered as the thought of her daughter plowed through everything else like a tidal wave—bringing the emotions, she’s been bottling up, with it.</p><p>Klaus nodded.</p><p>“But,” Allison shook her head. “Is Five sure that everything will be okay when we go back?” Klaus floundered and Allison squeezed Raymond’s hand tighter. She thought as much. “Then, I’m staying.”</p><p>“Allison—”</p><p>“I can’t, Klaus.” she butted in, her eyes squeezing shut as the tears came unbidden to her eyes. “I’ve had two years, Klaus. <em>Two years</em>,” she told him as she leaned into the arm that Raymond wrapped around her. “Two years thinking all of you were dead, of thinking Claire was—” she didn’t finish, swallowing down the sob that threatened to tear itself from her throat. “Please…. don’t give me false hope.” The sob tore from her throat anyway. “I can’t keep losing people. <em>I just can’t</em>.”</p><p>“Allison,” Klaus stepped forward slowly, voice gentle. “I lost people too. Hell, I don’t even know if my meddling made things better or worse.” He reached for her other hand and squeezed it. “But I still took the risk—”</p><p>“—And look where it got you.” She shot back bitterly; disentangling herself from Klaus’ grip and Raymond’s arm. “I’m not going, Klaus. I—I can’t take that risk.”</p><p>With that, she pivoted on her heel and made her way up the stairs to the second floor.</p><p>“Allison!”</p><p>Raymond gently held his palm up to prevent Klaus from following. “Let me talk to her.”</p><p>“But—”</p><p>Raymond shook his head; fighting to keep the pained expression off his face as he repeated. “Let me talk to her.”</p><p>Klaus sighed; the watch feeling heavy on his wrist.</p><p>Hopefully, her husband could talk Allison into it, or Klaus would never hear the end of it from Five.</p><p>“I’ll be in the car.”</p><p>(***)</p><p>“I need to say goodbye, Five, or I’m not going.”</p><p>“We don’t have time for this.”</p><p>“Then make time.”</p><p>Five’s jaw ticked.</p><p>If he heard that phrase come out of one more of his idiotic siblings’ mouth, he was going to go ballistic.</p><p>“You have thirty minutes before you need to be at the alley, Vanya.” He told her through gritted teeth. “<em>Don’t be late.</em>” As they made their way back to their cars; Five turned and stopped her before she could get in. “I mean it, Vanya. <em>We. Can’t. Stay. Here</em>.”</p><p>“I’ll be there.” She promised.</p><p>He watched as she drove off before falling into the driver’s seat with a weary sigh; the fatigue attaching itself to his every molecular cell.</p><p>As he started the car, his hand hovered over the stick shift; his eyes glancing up to the rearview mirror.</p><p>Should he trust her?</p><p>
  <em>Could he trust her?</em>
</p><p>He wanted to—badly—but this Vanya didn’t have any memory of them.</p><p>This Vanya was a wild card.</p><p>With a sigh, he pulled the car in reverse and started to follow down the road she took.</p><p>He couldn’t take that risk.</p><p>(***)</p><p>“Do you believe him?” Diego cut into the silence as he and Luther dug a shallow grave.</p><p>“Believe what?”</p><p>“That everything will go back to normal?”</p><p>Luther paused as he mulled it over. “I—I don’t know.”</p><p>Diego snorted. “Exactly. <em>We don’t know</em>. And neither does Five.”</p><p>Luther sighed and continued to dig. “We have to try, don’t we?”</p><p>“Do we? We got <em>stuck here</em> because <em>we</em> decided to try it Five’s way and look where that got us? Now we have a chance to save the president and you—”</p><p>Luther groaned, loudly, and hucked dirt in Diego’s direction; cutting Diego off—who sputtered and cursed at him. “Give it a rest, will you? Five thought that saving the president was what brought on doomsday, remember?”</p><p>Diego grunted, shovel hitting the dirt with a bit more force than was necessary, remembering the argument after Klaus had left. “He also thought it was dad.”</p><p>“No, <em>you</em> thought it was dad.” Luther corrected.</p><p> “And what if Five’s wrong? What if something else happened that caused the president to declare nuclear war?”</p><p>“And what if it isn’t?” Luther retorted back, pausing in his work again as he looked up at Diego. “If Five thinks leaving now will save this timeline—so we can go back and save ours—then we should take it.” Luther pressed. “What happened to JFK was a tragedy, but it happened <em>way</em> before our time.”</p><p>“It’s happening right now you, moron!”</p><p>Luther scowled and breathed heavily through his nose. “Yes, it’s happening in a timeline that <em>we</em> weren’t even supposed to be in.”</p><p>“So, we’re just supposed to let him die? We have the means to c-c-change things, and we’re just gonna leave?”</p><p>“If it saves this timeline, then yes.”</p><p>Diego scoffed. “Then how are we any better than those commission assholes Five told us about?” when Luther didn’t say anything right away, Diego sneered. “That’s what I thought.”</p><p>“Sometimes,” Luther paused; collecting his thoughts and words carefully. “Sometimes things are meant to happen for a reason, Diego.” Five’s words, from over a year ago, came rushing back to Luther— realization dawning as he slowly began to understand the weight that had been on Five’s shoulders at the time. “The life of <em>one man</em> does not weight greater than the life of <em>everyone.</em>” He ducked to meet Diego’s glaring gaze. “We can’t save him, but <em>we</em> can save everyone else. But only if we leave.”</p><p>Diego didn’t respond, jaw working as he continued to slam his shovel into the dirt and rip it up and over his shoulder.</p><p>“Diego?”</p><p>Gritting his teeth, Diego nodded. “<em>Fine.”</em></p><p>Luther nodded back, even if a little warily as he glanced at the watch and tossed his shovel to the side. “Come on, it’s deep enough. We need to start heading back soon.”</p><p>As they moved Elliott into the shallow grave, and said their awkward goodbyes after covering him up; neither noticed Lila hidden in the background the entire time.</p><p>Pursing her lips, realizing her first plan was useless, she gripped the briefcase and flicked the latch; disappearing in a flash of blue.</p><p>It was back to the drawing board.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Honorable mention<br/>@i-seeaspaceshipinthe-sky</p><p>"oh there's the dead body bro"<br/>"let's figure it out in the morning bro"<br/>"fair point bro"<br/>2 halves of a whole idiot<br/>((You my fandom friend deserve this honorable mention because I laughed so hard I cried XD. And while I really wanted to use it, I couldn’t make it work, but the world should see it anyway, haha))).</p><p>--Tumblr account (black-wolf066)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. We Build Each Other Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Klaus?”</p><p>“What?” Klaus muttered as he looked at Ben through the rearview mirror.</p><p>“Who are they?”</p><p>Klaus followed Ben’s pointed finger and saw two men just as they entered the porch of their sister’s home.</p><p>And trailing behind them, was a line of bloodied ghosts.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(((I've added a bit from my one story "She looks to the moon" because I refuse to believe that Allison never told Raymond about Clarie. That's what fanfiction is for after all XD. You don't really need to read it to understand it though.</p><p>Also, I'm like 90% sure the reason why we don't see the ghosts, is because the show didn't have a budget for extras... So, in my head--to make up for this--I've headcanoned that Klaus and Ben had time to work on his powers--on and off--for the last three years. The ghosts are still there, but Klaus is able to push them back enough to give himself some space.</p><p>Anyway, Enjoy everyone!)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Klaus!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Help me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He killed me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“She doesn’t know I’m dead!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I want my mommy!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Help me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Help me!”</em>
</p><p>Klaus gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut tight against the figures that continued to surround the car. His muscles trembled; his fingers tightening in a white-knuckled grip around the steering wheel as he feared—at any given second—that one of them would figure out how to take him over.</p><p>
  <em>“Tell my father I’m sorry!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Tell my wife I love her!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Help me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Klaus!”</em>
</p><p>“Shut up!” He hissed at them all; head threatening to explode with the pressure and volume, echoing around him.</p><p>He concentrated as hard as he could, releasing the wheel, and shaking his fists out as he tried to call forth the power—he and Ben had been working on for the last three years—to push them back. To create the barrier that he’d gotten good at keeping up—until recently—around himself. It never made them go away, not completely. They were always there—always yelling and asking for help that Klaus couldn’t give—but at least it gave him the space to breathe.</p><p>The power sizzled in his chest, building and swirling and flowing through his veins. It pulsed at his hands; the familiar blue glow flickering against his closed eyelids.</p><p>It fizzled out before he could use it.</p><p>“Damn it!”</p><p>Last night had really done a number on him.</p><p>His eyes flew open and he glared at the first face he saw, a young girl with her head twisted at an odd angle.</p><p>
  <em>“Help me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Klaus!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I didn’t deserve to die!”</em>
</p><p>“<em>I hate you</em>.” He growled at them all.</p><p>He wished he had grabbed that bottle back from Five before he left.</p><p>He jumped and ducked as a man’s arm went through the windshield.</p><p>Not again.</p><p>
  <em>Please not again.</em>
</p><p>Ben was one thing.</p><p>A complete stranger was another thing entirely.</p><p>Squeezing his eyes shut for the second time, he tried again. He ignored the gnawing fatigue in his muscles and bones. He ignored the pounding pain spiking through his head. He ignored the nauseating feeling roiling in his gut.</p><p>With a deep breath, he called forth his power and saw stars as it ruptured out in a small shockwave; pushing the ghosts backward as the barrier slammed itself back into place.</p><p>And like a puppet with its strings cut, Klaus sagged in his seat, and leaned his head back against the headrest; the stars still bursting and flashing across his vision.</p><p>He shouldn’t have done that, he realized belatedly; his muscles feeling like pudding as they ignored his every command to move.</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>He <em>really</em> shouldn’t have done that. He still needed to drive them back.</p><p>
  <em>Shit!</em>
</p><p>The familiar sizzle of energy appearing in the back seat, alerted him to a soul that he knew well.</p><p>Good, at least he wouldn’t have to summon him at the last minute.</p><p>Neither of them said anything, the silence and the tension in the car ringing loudly between them. It was a battle of wills; neither wanting to be the first to break it, and neither wanting to show they had been in the wrong in the first place.</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t care if it’s your fault or his fault or both of your faults. Work. It. Out.”</em>
</p><p>Klaus sighed and tried to shove the mental image of Luther out of his mind.</p><p>They continued to let the tension fester, the distant sound of a car horn, and a dog barking echoing in the air.</p><p>Klaus broke first.</p><p>“I’m going through a lot, you know.”</p><p>
  <em>Dave… </em>
</p><p>
  <em>These new damn powers.</em>
</p><p>“You’re <em>always</em> going through a lot.”</p><p>Silence filled the space between them again.</p><p>“You still had no right to do that, you know.”</p><p>“Neither did you.”</p><p>No, he didn’t. Klaus knew that, but it didn’t give Ben the right to do what he did either.</p><p>Forcing his limp, exhausted muscles to move, Klaus shifted in his seat and glanced out the window, then down to the clock face ticking away on his wrist.</p><p>Five was going to make his death slow and painful if they didn’t get back in time.</p><p>He hoped Ray would be enough to convince Allison.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>Klaus paused, face scrunching as he looked away from the watch.</p><p>Had he heard that right?</p><p>Slowly, he turned to stare at Ben in the back seat. “What?”</p><p>Ben sighed and tilted his head to meet Klaus’ eyes head-on. “I’m sorry.” He repeated.</p><p>“I—” Klaus swallowed; the compact space in the car suddenly closing in a little tighter around him. “I’m sorry too.</p><p>It didn’t solve everything. They still had plenty of issues to work through; the tension between them these last few days—<em>years </em>if Klaus were being totally honest—needed to be fixed. But it was progress.</p><p>One thing at a time.</p><p>He didn’t say it allowed, but Klaus resolved to himself that the moment his energy was back, he would manifest Ben to the others.</p><p>“Why are you outside of Allison’s house?” Ben cut into his thoughts.</p><p>“Oh, that’s right; you weren’t there.” He muttered the last part mostly to himself as he shifted around to look at Ben again; leaning his chin against the driver seat. “Five found us a way home.”</p><p>Ben perked up, then deflated just as quickly. “But your… cult.”</p><p>Klaus cringed. “They’ll be fine without me.”</p><p>Ben glared. “<em>Klaus</em>.”</p><p>“<em>Ben-uhh.” </em>Klaus whined and rolled his eyes. “Look, there’s no time okay. We have—” he glanced down at the clockface again. “Thirty-four minutes left.”</p><p>“We’re on a time limit?” Ben asked incredulously.</p><p>“<em>Yup</em>!” Klaus drawled with a loud pop of the last syllable.</p><p>“<em>Why</em>?”</p><p>“The old fart didn’t dignify us with the why’s.”</p><p>“If we’re on a time limit, then why are you sitting in the car and not getting Allison?”</p><p>Klaus sighed and turned back around in his seat to face the windshield; his spine twinging from being twisted around for that long. “She won’t come.” He continued before Ben could say anything. “Raymond’s trying to talk to her right now; figured I’d give them the space.”</p><p>He looked at the clock again.</p><p>Thirty-three minutes.</p><p>It would take him ten minutes to get back, eight minutes if he pushed the speeds a bit.</p><p>He was giving them another five minutes; If Raymond couldn’t talk her into leaving, then Klaus wasn’t sure what to do.</p><p>Would he leave her behind?</p><p>Would it be fair of him to do that?</p><p>Or would it be unfair to ask her to leave her life?</p><p>If the roles were switched, he wouldn’t have left Dave for anything in the world. But Allison had a kid waiting for her in the future.</p><p><em>Hopefully still had a kid, </em>he amended quickly.</p><p>What if her daughter was there and they just left Allison here in the past? What would they tell her daughter? That her mother couldn’t take the risk and come home to her? Or would they spare her and tell her that Allison had died?</p><p>Neither option was a good one.</p><p>(***)</p><p>Allison ducked her head as she heard the slow, familiar footfalls ascend the stairs to their room; wiping hastily at the tears that refused to stop flowing.</p><p>“Why do you weep, my love?”</p><p>Despite the turmoil roiling in her heart and mind, she gave the barest hint of a smile at the familiar words. Words spoken in the quiet of the night when her heart couldn’t take the loss any farther. Words spoken that weakened her resolve, and revealed the first truth she’d ever told Ray.</p><p>
  <em>Claire.</em>
</p><p>Her heart panged; her tears flowing heavier as a sob bubbled inside of her chest and threatened to drown her. The bed shifted, jostling her slightly as Ray sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her to bring her close.</p><p>Neither said anything for a long moment, the only sound the faint bird song coming from the tree outside.</p><p>“Allison—”</p><p>“I’m not changing my mind.” She cut in firmly, feeling the gentle squeeze of his arm as he brought her even closer; her head nestling in the crook of his neck. “I can’t Ray. <em>I can’t</em>.”</p><p>“I think you can.” He told her softly. “For your daughter, you can.”</p><p>“What if she’s not there? What if I go back, and everything’s changed, and she no longer exists? I would have lost her all over again, Ray.” she shifted to look up at him, breaking the embrace as she brought her hands up to cup his face. “And I would have lost <em>you</em>.” She shook her head; the tears still blurring her vision as she finished. “I don’t think I could survive that. Not again.”</p><p>He brought his own hands up to rest upon her wrists; thumbs drawing lazy, soothing circles against the back of her knuckles. “Your mind is telling you to stay, but what does your heart want?”</p><p>“I’m not—”</p><p>“What does your heart want?” he repeated, releasing a wrist to cup her own face, and gently wipe the tears collecting on her cheeks.</p><p>She stared at him, her eyes shifting from one dark iris to the other as she mulled over his question.</p><p>“I want to go.” She finally settled on, her face twisting into something pleading as she added softly. “And I want you to come with me.”</p><p>The only indication of surprise he gave was the widening of his eyes. “Allison—”</p><p>“Please? I’m tired of losing people, Ray. I—” she trailed off, her eyes closing as she leaned her cheek into his palm.</p><p>“You want me to leave Dallas? You want me to leave the movement?” there was nothing accusatory in his voice, nothing but gentle, soothing tones as he spoke from his viewpoint. “To leave everything, everyone has worked hard for?”</p><p>“The movements not finished, not even in 2019.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you said that the work we’re doing here,” he paused, rubbing her cheek with the pad of his thumb until she opened her eyes to look at him. “It has an impact on that future.”</p><p>“It does!” she quickly assured. “It does.”</p><p>Ray sighed, “Well, babe, then you know I can’t just leave it behind.” He cut her off before she could speak. “My part of the fight is right here, but your part is there. Your <em>life</em>, your <em>daughter</em>, is there waiting for you.”</p><p>“But I have a life here.” she protested weakly. “I could stay.”</p><p>“You could,” he uttered lightly. “But I think we both know, you would spend the rest of your days wondering the what-if’s if you did.”</p><p>Allison deflated. He was right.</p><p>He was always right.</p><p>“I could rumor you... if you wanted me to.” She offered weakly, noting the time on the alarm clock and seeing there wasn’t much of it left.</p><p>Thirty-five minutes.</p><p>She didn’t want to say goodbye.</p><p>“This past year—” he paused, swallowing heavily around the frog in his throat to keep his voice even and strong. “These moments I’ve gotten to have with you.” He tilted his head down and leaned it against her forehead. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You made me the luckiest man in the world, and I don’t <em>ever</em> want to forget that.”</p><p>“Ray, I—”</p><p>The faint knock at the front door traveled up to their ears and cut off anything she was going to say.</p><p>“Your brother said he would wait in the car.” Ray sighed out as he disentangled himself and stood.</p><p>Their time was up.</p><p>(***)</p><p>“Klaus?”</p><p>“What?” Klaus muttered as he looked at Ben through the rearview mirror.</p><p>“Who are they?”</p><p>Klaus followed Ben’s pointed finger and saw two men just as they entered the porch of their sister’s home.</p><p>And trailing behind them, was a line of bloodied ghosts.</p><p>“Shit,” they both cursed in unison as Klaus scrambled out of the car; Ben disappearing and presumably reappearing inside of the house.</p><p>He could hear the chaos coming from inside as he reached the porch steps; nearly tripping on the third one as he pushed through that door and into the main door to the house. Ben was yelling at him as he made it inside, something about manifesting him to help, but all Klaus could see was Allison chocking on her own breath as she crawled away from the first guy’s grip. All he could see was Raymond trying and failing, to fight the second guy so he could help Allison.</p><p>There was no energy left to summon Ben, there just wasn’t.</p><p>Picking the lamp up off the hall table—ripping the cord out of the wall as he went—Klaus hurled it as hard as he could at the back of the first guy’s head; distracting him enough for Allison to attack as Klaus raced past, and jumped onto the second guys back.</p><p>He met Raymond’s eyes from over the man’s shoulder and yelled for him to run, just as he was thrown from his perch; nearly hitting his head against the wall had he not curled inward on the way down.</p><p>“Klaus! Use me!” Ben yelled again.</p><p>“I can’t!” he groaned back; his back throbbing from where he’d landed on it. “I’m out of juice!”</p><p>A grunt of pain had him looking up to see Raymond in a chokehold, but before he could move to help, Allison was there.</p><p>“I heard a rumor, that you killed your brother.”</p><p>The familiar white fog took over the man’s eyes as he released Raymond; who nearly dropped to the ground had Allison not steadied him.</p><p>As Klaus struggled to his feet, feeling Ben’s hands going straight through him in an attempt to help him up, he watched along with Allison, Raymond, and Ben as the rumored man began to choke out his brother.</p><p>Klaus blinked and shook his head. “Come on, we need to go.” He told them, hearing Ben’s verbal agreement. “Allison!” He called again, louder this time as he grabbed onto her arm and Raymond’s. “We need to go!”</p><p>“I can take him.” She uttered darkly, pulling on his grip.</p><p>Klaus tightened his fingers and pulled on them again. “There’s no time! Let’s go!”</p><p>He dragged them through to the kitchen, releasing them only when he realized they were still following as he fumbled with the lock of the back door.</p><p>He was pushed out of the way quickly by Allison, the lock unlatching under her fingers and the door being ripped open as the three of them—and Ben—raced out and around the house to the car.</p><p>“In the back, Klaus!” Allison ordered as she skidded to a halt by the driver’s door and held out her hand for the keys.</p><p>“I can drive!”</p><p>“You’re barely standing on your feet!”</p><p>“Yeah, well, you have blood on your face.” He grumbled lowly as he tossed her the keys and got into the back with Ben; Raymond taking the passenger seat. “We’ll be pulled over for sure.”</p><p>She quickly rubbed the blood from her cheeks with a scowl on her face and got into the front. With a flick of her wrist and a press of the gas pedal, she started the car and peeled out just as they saw the second guy racing out of the house.</p><p>The silence as they drove closer to Elliott’s was broken by Allison; taking one of her hands off the wheel to grab Raymond’s as she uttered quietly. “Guess you’re coming with us after all.”</p><p>Klaus and Ben blinked at them and then at each other in confusion.</p><p>(***)</p><p>“Where is everyone?” Diego asked as they reached the rendezvous point.</p><p>Luther looked around and shrugged. “They still have—” he glanced at the watch. “Twenty minutes, right? They’ll be here.”</p><p>Diego snorted and leaned against the brick with his arms crossed.</p><p>From the other side, Luther did relatively the same; picking dirt from under his nails as they waited for the others to show up.</p><p>(***)</p><p>Five caught up with Vanya just as he saw a woman and her son getting into the station wagon.</p><p>“Vanya!”</p><p>Vanya startled before she could reach for the handle of the driver’s side door; whirling around to face him as he approached her on foot.</p><p>Her surprise was quickly replaced with anger; her eyes flashing white before they receded back to brown.</p><p>“You followed me?!” she accused.</p><p>“I’m glad I did.” He snapped. “What did I tell you? They can’t come with us!”</p><p>“Then I’m not going.”</p><p>“Vany—”</p><p>Her eyes flashed white again. “If they don’t go, then I’m staying.”</p><p><em>God damn it</em>, they didn’t have time for this!</p><p>Five gritted his teeth. “Vanya—”</p><p>“<em>Goodbye,</em> Five.” She whirled around and opened the door.</p><p>The woman inside calling out a confused, “Is everything okay?” reached Five’s ears as his jaw ticked; nearly cracking his molars with how hard he grounded his teeth together.</p><p>“Fine!” he yelled just before she could close the door. “They can come!”</p><p>Vanya turned to him. “You mean it?”</p><p>Grumbling, he nodded his head and turned to go back to the vehicle he took. “Follow behind me, we’ll take the backroad.”</p><p>“Why don’t we just take the highway—”</p><p>“We can’t take that route.” He snapped, glancing down at his watch. “We need to get back quickly, and there are too many cops on the highway that could slow us down. Now no more talking, we need to go!”</p><p>With that, he got in the car and slammed the door closed behind him.</p><p>And as he reversed out of the driveway and pulled out onto the street; his eyes caught Vanya following close behind in the station wagon, before they traveled to the woman sitting beside her.</p><p>No one was insignificant.</p><p>
  <em>No one.</em>
</p><p>He’d told her as such and she still didn’t listen.</p><p>Five didn’t want to know how badly they just fucked with the timeline by him agreeing to this.</p><p>(***)</p><p>Fortunately, with Five taking them on a different route, they’d just unknowingly saved themselves the time and trouble with Carl’s brother; for Carl came home not too long after they left, to find Sissy’s note.</p><p>His brother was called and a police blockade was placed on the highway—so sure, was Carl, that Sissy would take this route and flee for her family out of state.</p><p>But the station wagon never came.</p><p>(***)</p><p>“What the hell happened to you guys?” Diego called, moving to catch Klaus as he stumbled into the alley with Allison and Raymond close behind.</p><p>“Why are you covered in blood?” Luther questioned next, eyes wide and frantic as his eyes bounced from their appearance to the mouth of the alley; expecting to see someone chasing after them.</p><p>“Long story.” Klaus muttered tiredly; hands moving up to rub at his temples.</p><p>“We were attacked,” Allison answered as she pulled Raymond closer and glared at Diego. “By your Swedish guys.”</p><p>Diego scowled back. “They aren’t mine.”</p><p>“They did attack <em>you</em> first.” She retorted back.</p><p>“Enough,” Luther cut in.</p><p>He was resolutely ignored as Diego and Allison continued to bicker, sending a helpless look at Raymond and Klaus, who looked either too shaken up or exhausted to assist.</p><p>“Come on, this isn’t help—”</p><p>Luther was cut off as the familiar sizzle and pop of Five’s spatial jump, crackled in the alley; their brother appearing before them as he lifted the dumpster lid and pulled out a briefcase.</p><p>“Good, we’re all—” Five trailed off as his eyes fell on Raymond. “Of for fu—” he cut himself off again, grumbling and cursing under his breath as Vanya trailed in with the woman and her kid close behind.</p><p>Could his siblings do nothing right?</p><p>Now there was a third anomaly that Five <em>did not need</em> to be dealing with.</p><p>
  <em>The timeline was so fucked.</em>
</p><p>“Five what’s the plan?” Diego questioned as he eyed the newcomers.</p><p>“No time,” Five grumbled, cursing under his breath as he fiddled with the briefcase. “Everyone, grab onto each other.”</p><p>“Vanya?” the woman uttered with confusion. “What are we doing? What’s going—”</p><p>“Sissy, I need you to trust me.”</p><p>“I do, but—"</p><p>“Then trust me, and I’ll explain everything after. I promise.”</p><p>“Time is running out,” Five seethed as he glared at Sissy. “Either you hurry up, or go back home.”</p><p>“Five!”</p><p>Five turned his glare to Vanya, as the others began to huddle around him; feeling someone’s hand landing and gripping his shoulder. “We have two minutes left! <em>Let’s go</em>!”</p><p>None of them noticed as Klaus swayed in the background, nor did they notice his hands glowing blue or his complexion growing paler. No one but Luther—who was close by—as he gripped the back of Klaus’ shirt and pulled him close.</p><p>“Klaus?”</p><p>“Shh, tryi—ing too con-centrate.” He slurred in pain. “Ben?”</p><p>Luther perked up and looked around, “I don’t see him.”</p><p>“S’kay. He’s st-still here.” Klaus informed him, leaning heavier and heavier into Luther’s side as Allison—who caught the tail end of the conversation—gripped onto Klaus’ other arm to keep him from falling out of Luther’s grip.</p><p>“Get ready!” Five called.</p><p>Luther adjusted his grip to grab onto Klaus’ waist instead of his shirt as everyone stood around Five in a circle; each of them latching on to one another until they were all connected.</p><p>With a nod, satisfied that they would make it; Five flicked the clasp open.</p><p>And In a flash of blue, the nine of them—and Ben—disappeared from the alley.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>tumblr account @black-wolf066</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Only to Tear Each Other Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“How are you so calm about this?” She asked hesitantly, gazing heavily down at the liquid in her cup.</p><p>“Can I let you in on a little secret?” he confided. When she nodded, he confessed. “I’m not.”</p><p>She glanced up, startled. “But you look…”</p><p>Raymond chuckled, eyes widening briefly as he shook his head.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(((I won't spoil anything, but I do want to remind everyone that this story will end on a happy note. So... just keep that in mind as you read. </p><p>Also, this is the last update for the week, since I'm working all weekend. I will pick this back up as soon as I can though. I promise.</p><p>Anyway, Enjoy!)))</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The swirl of the blinding blue light, and the all-encompassing pressure it brought as it pressed down on their bones, lasted for only a second.</p><p>The light faded and everyone stumbled backward to regain their balance; Luther and Allison scrambling to catch Klaus as he was the only one who pitched forward.</p><p>The moment Luther had a better hold of him, Allison released Klaus’ arm; her brow furrowed in worry as he listed unsteadily and leaned heavier into Luther’s side.</p><p>The tugging on her hand, had Allison looking over to Raymond, who was glancing around at—</p><p>“We’re—” Allison breathed; relief flooding through her as a smile stretched upon her lips. “We’re home! It’s still standing!”</p><p>“This is <em>home</em>?” Vanya questioned in awe; feeling Sissy’s hand squeezing hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze back as she, Sissy, and Raymond took in the foyer with wonder.</p><p>Allison beamed at Vanya the moment their eyes met.</p><p>Vanya grinned back.</p><p>The moment was cut short as Five spatial-jumped away from their circle; Sissy startling in shock as she hugged Harlan closer.</p><p>“Really wish that boy would stop doing that.” She muttered, sending Vanya a wary look.</p><p>“You’re not the only one,” Luther grumbled. “What day is—”</p><p>The sizzle-pop of Five returning cut Luther off as Five slammed the newspaper on top of the round table.</p><p>“Good, we made it back just in time,” he stated, as he pointed to the date—April 1st, 2019. “We need to find ourselves before the psychosis fully kicks in. Most importantly, we need to find and help Vanya.”</p><p>“Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!” Sissy exclaimed, hand releasing Vanya’s as she waved it in the air. “Wait just a minute, here. What’s going on? What do you mean—find Vanya—your sister is right here?” she glanced around at her surroundings again, clearly trying to keep the panic at bay as she asked. “Where even are we? Where did that—” she gestured to the briefcase. “—<em>thing</em> take us? And why can your brother—” she trailed off, the word failing to come to mind as she looked pleadingly at Vanya for an explanation to everything.</p><p>“Count me out guys,” Vanya stated gently as she took Sissy’s hand back, and began to lead her and Harlan out of the foyer.</p><p>She didn’t know where she was going, but there had to be a kitchen around here somewhere.</p><p>“Me too,” Allison piped in as she tugged on Raymond’s arm. “I’ll help her explain everything, while you guys figure it out.”</p><p>“We don’t have—” Five trailed off with a frustrated growl as Allison lead Vanya and the others out. “I guess that just leaves us then.”</p><p>As if the fates didn’t hate Five enough, Klaus chose that moment to promptly pass out; Luther shifting quickly to catch him as he went boneless in his grip.</p><p>“Shit, Klaus?” Luther shook him a little, but Klaus didn’t stir; his hand immediately going for the pulse point under his neck.</p><p>“What happ—”</p><p>“I don’t know, Diego; I think he used his power to make sure Ben came with us.”</p><p>“I thought he said Ben wasn’t there?" Diego questioned in confusion.</p><p>“He lied.” Luther and Five said at once.</p><p>“But that doesn’t explain why he passed out.” Five continued. “He seemed perfectly fine at the theater when he manifested Ben.”</p><p>“It’s… a long story.” Luther sighed, still trying to wrap his head around the story itself.</p><p>“You keep saying that. You ever gonna explain?” Diego snapped.</p><p>“Not right now.” Luther scowled. “I’ll take him to Grace; figure out a game plan while I’m gone.”</p><p>Diego’s eyes widened at the name.</p><p>“<em>Mom,”</em> he whispered, as he stepped forward to follow Luther’s retreating back.</p><p>His arm was caught quickly by Five. “No time, we need to find ourselves and we need to find Vanya or <em>all of this</em> will have been for nothing.”</p><p>“Well, if we need to find <em>ourselves</em>; Allison and Luther should already be in the infirmary, right?” Diego shot back.</p><p>Five blinked up at Diego, and in the next blink he was gone; spatial-jumping out of the room and leaving Diego behind.</p><p>“Yeah, don’t worry about it. <em>I’ll catch up</em>.” He grumbled as he turned and made his way for the infirmary.</p><p>By the time he got there, the first thing he noted immediately was their mother; his lips up-turning as he watched her bustle around. It was only as he stepped into the room, that he noticed everything else.</p><p>Or… <em>the lack</em> of everything else.</p><p>Where was the other Luther and Allison?</p><p>His eyes shifted to Five, who muttered angrily to himself as he paced, before his eyes cut to <em>their </em>Luther, who was frowning at Five.</p><p>“What’s going on?”</p><p>“Something happened.” Five growled as he continued to pace. “I don’t know what we changed, but we must have changed something.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Five paced toward Diego, pointing up at him as he answered with a sneer. “<em>We changed something</em>. Our past selves are <em>gone</em>.”</p><p>“How?” Diego was only growing more and more confused.</p><p>“Mom, mind repeating what you just told me and Five?” Luther cut in before Five could go on a tangent.</p><p>“Of course, dear,” Grace answered sweetly, smile faltering slightly as she glanced at him and Five. “Though I wonder if I should check up on you both—after your brother of course. Your memories shouldn’t be failing you this quickly.”</p><p>“Just—” Five breathed deeply, hands balling into fists as he tried to calm down. “Just tell us again.”</p><p>“Well, you came in here at approximately 9:45 on the dot, and told Luther that you all needed to leave immediately.” She tsked as she stared at Five. “I warned against you taking your sister, especially with her injuries, but you wouldn’t listen. Where is she, now? She should be resting.”</p><p>“She’s fine, mom.” Luther cut in softly, frown deepening on his face as he stared at Five and then at Diego’s bewildered face.</p><p>“I’ll be the judge of that,” Grace answered, as she finished flitting around Klaus. “Where is she?”</p><p>“She’s downstairs,” Diego answered automatically, mouth running on autopilot as he mulled over what their mother had just said.</p><p>“Thank you,” She smiled warmly at Diego. “Klaus should be just fine.” She told them as she began to make her way to the door. “All he needs is a little rest, please refrain from waking him.” With the warning clear in her tone, she left—presumably to find Allison.</p><p>“Something’s not adding up.” Diego voiced; long after he could no longer hear her heels on the hardwood.</p><p>Five glared and snapped sarcastically. <em>“You think?”</em> he went back to pacing. “Right now, Luther and Allison should have been here,<em> right</em>?” at Luther’s nod, he continued. “At the same time, Diego, Klaus, and myself should have been heading for Harold’s house.”</p><p>“Yeah, that… that sounds about right.” Diego muttered as he recalled the event from months ago.</p><p>“So, what changed?” Five asked rhetorically. “Why would I come in here and take Luther and our injured sister with us, when there wasn’t a need for it the first time?” with a growl of frustration, Five kicked at the stool as he passed it.</p><p>“Five, you said something about psychosis? What did you mean by that?” Luther questioned cautiously.</p><p>“<em>Technically speaking.” </em>Five started, turning to face them almost sheepishly. “We’re not supposed to exist in close proximity of ourselves in the same timeline. The side effects could be quite dangerous.”</p><p>“What?!” Diego and Luther roared at once.</p><p>The fact that Klaus didn’t so much as twitch, spoke volumes to how exhausted he must have been. Five briefly wondered if Ben was listening to their conversation as Luther stood from the chair and rounded the bed to tower in front of him.</p><p>“I’m sorry, you brought all of us here<em>, knowing</em> our past selves would be here also? And yet, we’re not supposed to be in close proximity of them? What was your plan, Five? What were we going to do after the timeline was fixed?”</p><p>Five scowled up at him. “If we fixed the timeline, then all of this wouldn’t matter. We would have rewritten history.”</p><p>Diego froze, “So, our time in the past—”</p><p>“Would never have happened.” Five finished.</p><p>“But,” Diego paused, scrunching his face up. “Wouldn’t that just cause more problems? I mean, if we never went back, how would we know to be able to warn <em>ourselves</em> that our sister is the harbinger of death?”</p><p>“Diego!”</p><p>Diego rolled his eyes at Luther. “What? It’s <em>the truth</em>, we can’t ignore the fact that it happened.”</p><p>Five stared bewilderedly at Diego for a second, before his face contorted back to his mask of cool indifference. “I thought about that myself.” He answered. “The timeline righting itself is only one of many possible theories.”</p><p>“And the others?” Luther questioned, waving his hand for Five to elaborate.</p><p>“We may find ourselves in an alternate reality of our timeline. Our past selves will continue to move forward in this timeline where an apocalypse was averted, which means we’ll either find ourselves in a reality where they’re not there and everything is fine, or we’ll have to use the briefcase and find it.”</p><p>Luther was beginning to <em>really </em>hate time travel. “What?”</p><p>Five sighed. “The butterfly effect, Luther. One change can branch into multiple different paths. There are probably hundreds if not <em>thousands </em>of alternate realities. So, if my first theory doesn’t pan out, then we’ll just have to find a reality where we don’t exist.”</p><p>“The briefcase can do that?” Diego cut in.</p><p>“Possibly.” Five shrugged. “Look where it brought us?” he gestured to the reality they were in now. “This timeline has clearly changed, and until we find ourselves, we won’t know how or <em>why</em>.”</p><p>“What are the side effects?” Luther cut in. “Five, what are the side effects we should be looking for.”</p><p>Five sighed. “Well, according to the Commission handbook, chapter 27, subsection 3b, the seven stages in paradox psychosis are,” He lifted up his hands as he began to number them out. “Stage one: denial, two: itching, three: extreme thirst and urination, four: excessive gas, five: acute paranoia, six: uncontrolled perspiration, and seven—” Five faltered slightly at that, as he glanced at Diego and Luther. “—Homicidal rage.”</p><p>“<em>Homicidal rage</em>?” Luther repeated incredulously.</p><p>“Don’t you think you could have—I don’t know—<em>warned us</em> about all of this <em>before</em> we came here?” Diego seethed.</p><p>“I didn’t exactly have <em>time</em> to explain my plan,” Five seethed back.</p><p>“We need to tell the others,” Luther advised immediately.</p><p>“I agree. We can use the newcomers to keep an eye on us.” Five piped in, with a nod. “We took them out of their timeline, so technically they shouldn’t have to worry about the psychosis like we do.”</p><p>“Do we tell them everything?” Diego cut in.</p><p>Within the silence that followed at that statement, Luther exhaled wearily; the fatigue settling deep in his joints. “No,” he pushed onward before Diego could argue. “<em>Listen</em>, we don’t even know what will happen once the timeline gets fixed. Why make them worry needlessly?”</p><p>“Because if I was in their position,” Diego started as he stalked closer to Luther with his finger pointed accusingly. “I would have liked to know that I might have a chance of forgetting Lila.”</p><p>“What would it change?” Five argued sharply. “If my first theory proves to be correct, then you would forget all about her anyway, and it all wouldn’t have mattered in the end.” Five shook his head. “All it will do, is cause a distraction. A distraction that <em>we don’t need</em> <em>right now</em>. Luther is right, we have more important things to worry about.”</p><p>“I think it’s wrong to keep this from them.”</p><p>“Diego—”</p><p>“Fine! I won’t say anything, but <em>it’s wrong</em>.” He pointed at them both. “And <em>you</em> <em>know it</em>.”</p><p>They flinched as Diego exited the room, slamming the door shut behind him as he went.</p><p>“It’s for the best… <em>right</em>?” Luther uttered, mostly to himself.</p><p>“Come on,” Five evaded with a long exhale. “The quicker we tell the others what’s going on, the faster we can figure out where our past selves went.”</p><p>(***)</p><p>“Let me get this straight.” Sissy began cautiously; fingers rubbing circles in her temples to soothe the ache beginning to form there. “We’re no longer in 1963, but 2019? We’re in your old childhood home, where all of you have… <em>powers</em>, and the only reason why you were in 1963 in the first place, was because you were fleeing the end of the world?!” she scowled at Vanya. “<em>Why</em> would you bring us back here?”</p><p>“Had we stayed in 1963, the world would have ended sooner,” Vanya answered her gently; refraining from reaching out as they felt the table shake with Sissy’s leg bouncing in agitation underneath it. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you, but I promise everything is going to be okay. We know how to stop this one from happening. You won’t have to worry about yours or Harlan’s safety.”</p><p>“How can you be so sure?” she pleaded. “How can <em>any of you</em>, be that sure?” she added as she glanced at Allison and Raymond sitting across from them. “This isn’t just a year or five years for us to adjust too, this is decades, Vanya! Everything’s <em>changed</em>… and now you’re telling me the world might end? That the world <em>could</em> have ended in 1963?”</p><p>“I know, I know, but I promise—”</p><p>“I’m gonna need more than just a promise,” Sissy interrupted gently, but firmly, tilting her head to the side as she finally reached out and grabbed one of Vanya’s hands. “A promise isn’t a reality, that I can take a risk on.” She squeezed the hand in hers, closing her eyes briefly as she forced their connection to ground her from her scattered, anxiety-induced thoughts. “How can you be sure that the world won’t end tonight?”</p><p>Sissy saw Allison’s eyes cut to Vanya quickly, but she ignored it in favor of staring imploringly into Vanya’s dark brown eyes.</p><p>“Vanya?” Sissy urged when she didn’t answer right away.</p><p>“I know it won’t happen because…” Vanya looked down. “Because I started it the first time.”</p><p>Sissy reared back as if she had been hit; her eyes bouncing from Vanya to Allison—who didn’t deny it—and back again.</p><p>“You—” she trailed off, her tongue suddenly finding the words hard to pronounce.</p><p>Was it getting hot in here?</p><p>Her eyes cut toward Harlan sitting by the glass display cases, swallowing as she forced air to travel down her windpipe.</p><p>It was <em>definitely</em> getting hot in here.</p><p>“<em>Breathe.”</em></p><p>Her eyes cut toward Raymond, who was down on one knee beside her.</p><p>When had he moved?</p><p>She could see Vanya hovering in the background—having vacated her seat to allow room—with a forlorn and worried expression creasing the lines on her face.</p><p>Raymond spoke and drew her attention back to him.</p><p>“It’s a lot to take in, I know.” He told her lightly; sending her a small—but strong—smile as he continued. “I only just found out about this a couple days ago myself, but you need to breathe.” He exaggerated his breathing. In deeply through his nose, out slowly through his mouth; his hand waving gently and urging her to copy him. “That’s it, in and out.”</p><p>A glass, half full of water, was pushed toward her; Sissy taking it with trembling fingers and sending Allison a quiet thank you.</p><p>“Can you give us a moment?” Raymond asked as he looked from Allison to Vanya.</p><p>“Of course,” Allison answered quickly. “Come on,” she urged Vanya lightly toward the door when she didn’t budge. “<em>Vanya.</em>”</p><p>And with that, they were gone, and the silence—save for the tap-tap-tapping of Harlan’s finger against the glass—settled as Raymond stood and sat in the chair next to her.</p><p>“How are you so calm about this?” She asked hesitantly, gazing heavily down at the liquid in her cup.</p><p>“Can I let you in on a little secret?” he confided. When she nodded, he confessed. “I’m not.”</p><p>She glanced up, startled. “But you look…”</p><p>Raymond chuckled, eyes widening briefly as he shook his head. “My wife, she’s got enough on her plate right now.” He told her truthfully. “There will… <em>hopefully</em> be time to talk to her later. But for now, I need to remain levelheaded. I need to <em>trust </em>in my wife<em>,</em> that she and her crazy family know what they’re doing.”</p><p>Sissy twisted the glass around in her palms, trying to find the words to articulate what she wanted to say.</p><p>“How long have you been married?” she asked instead.</p><p>Raymond’s face softened, the easy smile stretching his lips as he replied. “A year.”</p><p>His laidback grin, and the clear adoration he held in just those two words, had Sissy smiling despite herself.</p><p>“You really love her.”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“And you trust her?”</p><p>“I<em> trust</em> that she would never harm me intentionally.”</p><p>A lull fell between them as Sissy twirled the glass in her hands once more.</p><p>“I want too,” she began, clearing the tickle in her throat and taking a small sip. “I want to trust her; a large part of me knows she would never intentionally harm us, but—”</p><p>“But you have your son to worry about.” Raymond finished, nodding his understanding.</p><p>“He’s my <em>whole world</em>.” She breathed, her eyes shifting to gaze at her son, who had stood to wander the kitchen; his wooden toy tapping away on the surfaces as he passed them. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to him. I don’t know if I could ever forgive myself.” Panic began to build in her chest again. “Maybe I acted to rashly?”</p><p>“Breathe.” Raymond reminded lightly, exaggerating his breathing again as she quickly followed suit. “You don’t have to answer, not if you don’t want to.” He assured her. “But what made you go with Vanya to begin with?”</p><p>A faint, soft smile twitched at her lips. “It’s silly.” She chided herself. “I was acting like a school girl again.”</p><p>“Sometimes our hearts make us do silly things.”</p><p>She chuckled and answered. “We were running away.”</p><p>“Running away?” He repeated, an unasked question lingering in his tone.</p><p>The smile wobbled. “From…” she swallowed. “From my husband.”</p><p>Raymond had a pretty good poker face, she would give him that, but it was hard to miss the twitch of his eyebrow as he stared passively at her.</p><p>“My husband, he—”</p><p>“You don’t have to explain yourself.” He told her, lifting a palm up to halt her words.</p><p>“No,” she shook her head. “No, I feel like I do.”</p><p>If not for him then for herself.</p><p>To remind herself <em>why</em> she had so readily thrown everything away for… <em>for a chance</em>.</p><p>“My husband, he’s—he can be a good man. <em>Sometimes</em>.” She scoffed out a laugh without a hint of mirth. “I never told Vanya this, but I tried to divorce him once. Harlan was only two at the time. It didn’t go over well. And I—” she swallowed against the lump in her throat.</p><p>“Was he ever—”</p><p>“Oh lord no, he would never hurt us.” She cut him off quickly. “He was just… he had this way about him. A way that you just couldn’t refuse.”</p><p><em>Controlling</em>, her scattered mind supplied for her.</p><p>She didn’t know why she was telling all of this to a complete stranger. Maybe it was the panic, or the loneliness she had felt before Vanya. Maybe it was just Raymond himself, a man who seemed genuinely kind and who genuinely wanted to help her.</p><p>“I never tried again. I figured—that was just my lot in life—you know? Then I got busy taking care of the farm, and Harlan, and Carl was usually late at work, and it just—” she shrugged, leaving the sentence unfinished. “But Vanya, she gave me—”</p><p>“Hope?”</p><p>She nodded. “She made me feel <em>alive </em>again. Made me feel like I could stand on my own two feet and just… <em>breathe </em>again. She cared about me—about <em>Harlan</em>—in ways my husband never showed.”</p><p>There was another lull in their conversation, the tapping of Harlan’s toy filling the space as he continued to wander around them.</p><p>“I can’t tell you want to do, or how to feel, or how to live your life, but—” he took her wrist and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Sometimes, things happen for a reason. Maybe this is just the next chapter in our lives.”</p><p>“And if it ends tonight?”</p><p>Raymond paused, brow furrowing slightly. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about Vanya.” He eyed her. “Are you worried about her?”</p><p>She thought about it, thought about the woman she had gotten to know in so short of time. The woman who had become a friend and her cherished confidant. The woman who had seemingly fallen from the heavens and right into her arms when Sissy had needed it most.</p><p>“No, but I am worried <em>for</em> her.” She sighed. “Our lives are never going to be the same again, are they?”</p><p>“No,” he answered, “But you aren’t alone in this.” he suddenly chuckled as he withdrew his hand and sat back in his chair.</p><p>“What?” she grinned despite herself, feeling something lift at the reassurance that Sissy wasn’t alone in this.</p><p>That this man was just as displaced in a world neither of them belonged in.</p><p>“What’s so funny?”</p><p>“Something my <em>brother-in-law</em> told me.” He answered, his tone dancing with his amusement. “Family barbecues are about to get weird.”</p><p>Despite the worry—for Vanya, for her son, for herself. Despite the unknown pressing heavily on her shoulders; Sissy threw her head back and laughed—the sentence so outlandish but so utterly true.</p><p>(***)</p><p>“There you are! What in the world are you doing up?”</p><p>Vanya and Allison startled; their quiet conversation halting as they turned to face the new voice entering the living room.</p><p>“Mom?” Allison uttered softly.</p><p>Grace froze, assessing Allison carefully. “That’s not possible, your vocal cords were damaged this morning.” She quickly moved to stand in front of her; tilting Allison’s chin up and noting the fully healed scar beneath and frowned. “How—”</p><p>“I’m okay mom,” Allison answered as she gently took Grace’s hand off her chin. “I promise.”</p><p>“Forgive me, but you were far from fine this morning. I advise that you let me check anyway, just in case.”</p><p>“<em>I’m okay</em>.” She insisted.  “I healed two years ago.”</p><p>“Healed, how?”</p><p>“Five time-traveled us back to the past. I’m fine, <em>hones</em>t.”</p><p>Grace tilted her head, as though she were processing the likely outcome that Allison was lying to her before she slowly beamed. “I’m glad you’re alright then, dear. You gave us quite a scare, but I still must advise that you let me check.”</p><p>Allison sighed. “Can we do it later, please?”</p><p>“Mom?” Vanya cut in, her eyes bouncing between the two. “This is our mom?”</p><p>“Of course, sweetie,” Grace answered as she turned to her; head tilted again. “Who else would I be?”</p><p>“Vanya doesn’t remember anything,” Allison stated slowly as she turned to her sister and added. “Klaus and I told you about her and Pogo while we were at the salon. Don’t you remember?”</p><p>“I do, it’s just—”</p><p>“Miss Allison?”</p><p>
  <em>Speak of the devil.</em>
</p><p>They both turned at the tapping of a cane to find Pogo, but before anyone could say anything, Diego was storming down the stairs—clearly in one of his moods—and followed not long after by Five and Luther.</p><p>“What is going on here?” Pogo regarded them all, eyes lingering on Allison before he put two and two together quickly, and glanced at Five. “What have you done?”</p><p>Five scowled. “Where are the others?” he evaded.</p><p>“They’re in the kitchen. Why do you need to know?”</p><p>Five nodded and within a blink, he was gone. Allison turned to Luther, imploring him with the same question.</p><p>“Family meeting, everyone needs to hear this.”</p><p>“Where’s Klaus?”</p><p>“Resting.” Came Diego as he gently took their mother’s arm and lead her down to the kitchens.</p><p>“We’ll fill him in on everything when he wakes up,” Luther promised.</p><p>(***)</p><p>Long after plans had been made and their meeting had dispersed; Klaus had yet to stir.</p><p>While Luther, Diego, and Five had gone out in search of their past selves; Allison had shown Vanya and the rest around the house—hoping that seeing and feeling the familiar things of their childhood, might awaken a few memories.</p><p>It didn’t.</p><p>By late afternoon, the boys returned empty-handed—or at least, they thought they returned empty-handed.</p><p>Hazel was just making his way up to the front door as they parked on the street.</p><p>
  <em>Maybe some things hadn’t changed after all. </em>
</p><p>(***)</p><p>“Who the hell hit me?”</p><p>For once—<em>just the once</em>—Klaus would like to stop feeling like utter shit.</p><p>With all the pain his head was in, he wouldn’t be surprised to find part of his brain oozing out of his ears.</p><p>“Was it Five?” he croaked jokingly to the familiar energy hovering by his bedside. “Yeah, this feels like Five.”</p><p>“It wasn’t Five.”</p><p>He groaned, his eyes remaining firmly shut against the harsh light bleeding through his eyelids, making his migraine substantially worse.</p><p>“You shouldn’t have pushed yourself like that.”</p><p>“What was I supposed to do, leave you behind? Let you wander around for the next fifty-three years before you could find us again?” Klaus was so exhausted, that he couldn’t even lift his arm enough to wave his hand at Ben.</p><p>
  <em>This sucked.</em>
</p><p>Ben didn’t answer and the silence settled around them.</p><p>“I’m… I’m sorry.”</p><p>Klaus furrowed his brow, squinting his eyes open enough to catch a glimpse of Ben before he slammed them shut again with a hiss of pain.</p><p>“What are you sorry for now?”</p><p>“You’re like this because I drained you.” Ben argued with frustration.</p><p>Klaus didn’t know what to say to that, couldn’t really say anything as the pain spiked every time he tried to collect his thoughts.</p><p>True, the possession took more out of him then Klaus had ever expected, but… he was just as much at fault.</p><p>Wasn’t he?</p><p>Ben wouldn’t have done what he did had Klaus just been honest from the start.</p><p>Right?</p><p>Something told him that this wasn’t over; a niggling feeling at the bottom of his gut, but he was too tired to care.</p><p>
  <em>He was tired of feeling tired. </em>
</p><p>“Klaus?”</p><p>He groaned at the new voice that suddenly hovered near him; melting against the gentle fingers that worked their way through his curly hair and rubbed against his sore scalp.</p><p>
  <em>Allison was a godsend. </em>
</p><p>“Are you okay?</p><p>“Peaches and cream,” he croaked.</p><p>
  <em>When was he ever okay?</em>
</p><p>“Klaus—”</p><p>“Did we do it?” he cut her off; not in the mood to discuss anything else. “Did we stop our apocalypse?”</p><p>The silence was telling.</p><p>He forced his eyes open then, fighting through the harsh light to squint up at her—at the pensive look on her face as she worried at her lower lip with her teeth.</p><p>“We <em>didn’t </em>stop it?”</p><p>“We’re not sure.” She answered him truthfully.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>With a sigh, she pulled up a stool and relayed everything that had happened while he’d been out; Ben filling in bits and pieces here and there.</p><p>
  <em>And failing to tell Klaus what he had been privy too.</em>
</p><p>If Five was right, then it wouldn’t matter in the end.</p><p>(***)</p><p>As the clock ticked closer and closer to midnight, the seven of them held their breath; the air thick with unease, and their muscles coiled and ready to spring at the first sign of trouble.</p><p>Raymond sat with Allison by the bar; their hands gripped tightly together.</p><p>Vanya sat perched on the edge of the couch; her hands fisted—ready to call forth a barrier to protect her family—as Harlan slept behind her with his head pillowed on Sissy’s lap.</p><p>Klaus—despite everyone telling him he should be resting—was perched in the armchair, Ben leaning on the arm beside him.</p><p>Five stood near the columns of the archways, his eyes shifting around the room and constantly landing on Diego and Luther keeping watch by the windows.</p><p>While none of them could see them, they knew Pogo and their mother were on the landing above.</p><p>No one talked.</p><p>No one moved.</p><p>Not even Five—who itched to pace the anxiety out of himself—or Klaus—who desperately wanted to break the tension with something inappropriate.</p><p>The clock struck twelve, chiming loudly and causing Sissy to jump as her hand flew from Harlan’s hair to Vanya’s back.</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>The mansion didn’t crumble in ruin around them.</p><p>There was no sign of Cha Cha or the commission agents—storming the academy in a blaze of bullets as they had done at the theater.</p><p>The moon remained blissfully intact above them.</p><p>And their past selves continued to remain ever nonexistent.</p><p>As the last chime echoed along the halls, heralding the morning of a new day; the seven of them stared at each other in wonder.</p><p>The apocalypse had been averted.</p><p>They had done it.</p><p>The handler had actually kept her end of the bargain.</p><p>Five furrowed his brow.</p><p>He didn’t trust it.</p><p>
  <em>He didn’t trust it one bit.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Isn't This Exhausting?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“You can’t just volunteer me!” Diego snapped.</p><p>“I believe I just did.” Allison glared. “And you’re going.”</p><p>“I’m still wanted by the police!”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>((And the plot thickens even more! </p><p>I have no clue how long this story is going to be at this point, cause I feel like I'm only getting 3 or 4 bullet-pointed scenes done at a time XD so, I guess we'll see.</p><p>Anyway, thanks for your patience! Enjoy guys!))</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Five didn’t sleep that night, sitting in the kitchen long after everyone else had wandered off to bed.</p><p>He couldn’t believe it.</p><p>The apocalypse had been averted. Their memories were still intact and Raymond, Sissy, and Harlan were still here. Which meant his first theory—that their time in the past would erase itself—was officially proven wrong.</p><p>
  <em>They’d really done it.</em>
</p><p>The mission—<em>the goal</em>—he had kept striving and living through hell for, was finally over. His family was safe and <em>alive</em>.</p><p>For all intents and purposes, he should be <em>relieved</em>.</p><p>He gripped the mug of his coffee a little tighter.</p><p>The gnawing pit of unease, burning within his gut, was anything but relief.</p><p>Despite the deal they’d made, Five had been <em>certain</em> that The Handler would have backstabbed him at the last minute—had even been prepared for it. So, to have this win handed so effortlessly to him…</p><p>The unease burned a little deeper.</p><p>Five had learned long ago, that nothing was ever easy in life—not for anyone and certainly not for him and his family—and this… this had felt <em>too easy</em>. Too conveniently orchestrated for a corporation that prided itself in preserving the timeline.</p><p>
  <em>No matter what they had to do—or who they had to kill along the way.</em>
</p><p>Not to mention, their past selves’ abrupt disappearance was still an anomaly that he needed to solve.</p><p>His jaw ticked.</p><p>“What are you planning?” he muttered to himself; disturbing the otherwise quiet that had surrounded him thus far.</p><p>Standing from the chair, grabbing his mug and the French Press along the way, he jumped to his old room.</p><p>There had to be more to the picture that he wasn’t seeing. She wouldn’t just allow them to live <em>happily ever after</em>; he knew her too well to believe that for a single second.</p><p>
  <em>A means to an end. </em>
</p><p>That was all she and the commission ever were to him—and that was all he ever was to them.</p><p>She was<em> definitely</em> planning something.</p><p>Picking up the abandoned chalk between his ring and pinky finger, he jumped to a lesser-used room for the wall space.</p><p>He needed to figure it out.</p><p>He needed to know if she was the reason for their past selves’ disappearance, or if it was something else entirely that had tipped his past self off.</p><p>Depositing the mug and the pot on the first available surface, he took the chalk to the painted plaster and got to work.</p><p>(***)</p><p>By morning, no one knew what to do, nor what to say; still reeling by their success.</p><p>The smell of fried eggs and bacon lingered in the air, long after their meal, as they crowded around the table; the only ones not there being Klaus—too exhausted to be moved from his bed—and Five—who refused to be budged from his equations.</p><p>“So, what do we do now?” Luther broke the quiet.</p><p>It was such a simple, innocent question; yet it snowballed into something bigger. A pebble that was thrown to disturb the still waters and bring with it a ripple of change.</p><p>Somehow, someway—that none of them could fathom—they had actually saved the world. They no longer had that pressure lingering over their heads.</p><p>They could finally <em>live</em>.</p><p>And live, they would do.</p><p>First and foremost, legal documentation for Raymond, Sissy, and Harlan needed to be obtained.</p><p>“And mom,” Diego cut in vehemently; refusing to allow her to stay shut in like a prisoner any longer.</p><p>With there being no objections, they moved on; knowing the task was something they would need to bring up with Pogo to complete.</p><p>Figuring out how to get help for Harlan was next; the wide range of benefits and support to be found in 2019—information Allison knew only because she’d had to research it for a role—overwhelming enough to bring Sissy to tears.</p><p>“I didn’t know all of this could be possible.” Sissy breathed in awe.</p><p>“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.” Allison answered. “I’m sure there are more options out there, but that’s all I know off the top of my head.”</p><p>“We can look into it later?” Sissy asked, directing her question at Vanya, who nodded.</p><p>As the others talked; Allison withdrew into her thoughts.</p><p>Despite how desperately she wanted to take the first flight home and see her daughter—court order and Patrick be damned—she couldn’t bring herself to leave Raymond; not now when he barely knew how to navigate this new time he’d been dropped into.</p><p>But she knew she couldn’t ignore the court order either. As of now, she’s missed two appointments with her therapist.</p><p>She would have to make some calls, to have some of her things shipped to the mansion, and to move her therapy sessions to someone here in the city as soon as humanly possible.</p><p>She stated the former aloud, knowing the mansion was roomy enough to house her things until she and Raymond could find a place of their own.</p><p>Klaus shuffled into the kitchen just as they started making plans to clear out some of the rooms.</p><p>“Oh? We finally pawning dear old daddy’s things?” he piped in as he dropped into the seat between Diego and Vanya; stealing her half-eaten bacon and toast, and Diego’s empty mug.</p><p>Luther rolled his eyes. “We’ll donate what we can.”</p><p>“We should look into getting your things as well, Vanya.” Allison added. “Your apartment is too small for all three of you.”</p><p>“My things?” Vanya asked curiously. “I didn’t live here?”</p><p>“No, you didn’t.” She answered, tone softening as she continued. “Getting and surrounding yourself with some of your belongings might help jog your memory.”</p><p>While Allison would have offered her services to help, the sooner she followed the court order and scheduled an appointment, the better. With an apologetic look shot toward Vanya, Allison didn’t hesitate to volunteer Luther, Diego, and Klaus in her stead.</p><p>“You can’t just volunteer me!” Diego snapped.</p><p>“I believe I just did.” Allison glared. “And you’re going.”</p><p>“I’m still wanted by the police!”</p><p>“Didn’t Five anonymously turn in those guns that Hank—Hazel—gave you yesterday?” Klaus cut in through a mouth full of bread as he snatched the teapot and poured himself a drink.</p><p>“He did.” Luther nodded as he stared at Diego. “It was supposed to help clear your name.”</p><p>“<em>They should</em>, but it takes time. All that red tape paperwork bulls—” he yelped at the sudden kick to his shin from underneath the table; his glare snapping around for the culprit and landing on Allison as she pointedly shifted her eyes to Harlan.</p><p>As quick as the bickering started, it ended: with Diego losing the argument.</p><p>Within minutes after their conversation was done, he left with the other three—four, if Klaus’ aside to what she assumed was Ben, was any indication.</p><p>They still had things they needed to go over—like how they were going to help Five adjust to a life without conflict again.</p><p>But it was a start.</p><p>(***)</p><p>“I wish I could remember my life here.” Vanya stated softly; breaking the silence in the car as the city blocks passed in a blur of color and noise.</p><p>“You’re lucky.” Klaus answered immediately; shifting as he began to dig in his coat pocket for his pack of smokes.</p><p>“Really, Klaus?!” Luther reprimanded as he swiveled slightly in the passenger seat to glare at him.</p><p>“What?” he shot back innocently, tittering slightly when he found the crumpled-up pack.</p><p>“Don’t listen to him, Vanya, I’m sure you’ll get them back eventually.”</p><p>“No smoking in my car.” Diego cut in, eyes cutting to the rearview mirror with a glare as he saw the cig between Klaus’ lips.</p><p>Klaus rolled down the window and lit it anyway; a shit-eating grin on his face as he dodged the hand that shot back to hit him.</p><p>“Will you stop moving?” Ben griped from the middle seat; image flickering each time Klaus’ elbow went through his side.</p><p>Klaus rolled his eyes. “You could have just met us there, you know.”</p><p>“And miss all this, <em>never</em>.” He deadpanned.</p><p>“Is that Ben?”</p><p>“Yup,” Klaus drawled at Luther as Ben perked up in his seat at being mentioned again.</p><p>Whatever could have been said next, died in their throats as Diego rounded the corner for Vanya’s street. The caution tape, police, and other workers blocking the road prevented Diego from going any farther.</p><p>“What in the—” Diego trailed off.</p><p>“What happened here?” Luther finished for him.</p><p>The street looked like a warzone.</p><p>There were overturned cars everywhere; one having gone through a storefront window, while the others had either been blown or shot inward. Water gushed from a broken fire hydrant currently trying to be fixed by the fire department. Street lamps were bent at odd angles. Spider webbed cracks ran through the ground and up the side of buildings, chunks of asphalt, concrete, and brick littering the scene from where they’d been torn or blown out also.</p><p>“Do you think—” Vanya gulped. “Do you think this was me? Did I—did my past self do this?”</p><p>None of them knew how to answer that, but the damage did look familiar enough to think the affirmative.</p><p>“We need to tell Five.” Luther stated. “We should—”</p><p>“That’s Vanya’s place.” Diego cut in; pointing down the street toward the building with a giant hole in the front of it—where a bay window used to reside. “The police will come knocking soon enough and we know nothing about this.”</p><p>“Then we go back and lay low until we can figure this out.”</p><p>“Pull out of here and park a couple blocks away.” Klaus cut in as he leaned his head over the front seats to squint at the damage ahead; eyes catching on a familiar black hood before it disappeared around a truck. “Ben’s checking it out for us.”</p><p>(***)</p><p>“That went quicker then I expec—”</p><p>“Family meeting.” Luther cut Allison off as he rounded the corner where she had just hung up the second-floor phone. “Is Five still up here?”</p><p>“Yeah,” she caught Luther’s arm before he could walk away. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“Something happened at Vanya’s yesterday afternoon.”</p><p>“How do you know it wasn’t last night? Or this morning?”</p><p>“Ben overheard someone talking about it.”</p><p>“Ben?” She shook her head setting herself back on track. “Didn’t you guys stop by her place while you were out looking for everyone?” She asked with confusion. At Luther’s sheepish expression, Allison scowled. “Seriously?”</p><p>“It must have slipped our minds.”</p><p>“Luther!”</p><p>“Hey, in our defense, we didn’t think to look there the first time either. We thought she had come straight here.”</p><p>“What exactly happened?”</p><p>“Let me get Five first.” Luther insisted as he twisted his arm gently out of her grasp and turned to travel down the hall. “We’ll explain everything after.”</p><p>(***)</p><p>Ten minutes later found them—minus Sissy and Harlan; excusing herself to deal with his mild meltdown upstairs—sitting around the living room.</p><p>“Explain.” Five demanded; the only one not sitting as he paced the floor in agitation.</p><p>Luther, Vanya, and Diego looked to Klaus, who sighed and fisted his hands—he absolutely <em>was not</em> playing messenger again.</p><p>The chaos on the ride back was frustrating enough.</p><p>A gleam of blue light flickered around his hands and right beside him before it grew brighter and larger; the light fanning out to take the shape and form of Ben.</p><p>“What in the—who is that?” Raymond startled in his seat.</p><p>“That’s my other brother, Ben.” Allison answered as she placed a reassuring hand on Raymond’s arm. At the wary look he sent her, she added quickly. “He’s the last one, I promise.”</p><p>Ben offered everyone a small smile, but he knew their reunion would have to wait until after this conversation.</p><p>
  <em>If Klaus had enough energy left to keep it up, that is.</em>
</p><p>He dove right in, explaining everything he saw on the street. From the bullet holes and bullet casings to the debris from Vanya’s and the neighboring apartments; detailing everything--that was worth mentioning--that he had seen police and forensic scientists working diligently to gather.</p><p>“I don’t think the police suspect us.”</p><p>“How so?” Five urged for him to continue.</p><p>“How can they not suspect us? Or Vanya? It was her apartment?” Diego scoffed as twirled the knife in his hand; not realizing how their sister deflated more and more into the sofa she was seated in.</p><p>Ben went on, telling them the conversation he’d overheard from one of the detectives overseeing the site. Any eyewitnesses the police had; all saw the same thing—men in masks surrounding the street with guns as they opened fire.</p><p>“So, the Commission <em>did</em> send the agents out.” Five mused aloud to himself. “Did they see anything else? Where were they aiming at?” Five questioned as he paced toward Ben.</p><p>“A lot of them were too afraid after the gunfire started, but I think someone saw me?” He added with a furrowed brow; his hand laying over his stomach. “Or at least, they saw the Horror.”</p><p>“Anything else?”</p><p>“A bright white light.” He shrugged. “After that, there was nothing, no more gunfire… just bodies.”</p><p>“Were any of us...” Allison trailed off.</p><p>“No, at least not that I overheard. I could go and check the morgue if I need too.”</p><p>“We need to know what happened.” Five ordered, “We’ll check the station too, see what else they might have found.” He turned to everyone else. “Stay here just in case they come by.”</p><p>“What do we say if they do?” Luther questioned.</p><p>“The truth. <em>We</em> don’t know what happened, and Vanya was with us the whole time.” He set his sights on Klaus next. “Get up, you’re coming with us.”</p><p>“Oh, no I—”</p><p>“You’re going.” Five seethed with a glare. “I need you so I can keep communication with Ben. <em>So, get up</em>.”</p><p>“Jeez, someone missed his nap.” He grouched before launching to his feet as Five loomed closer with a glower. “I’m up, I’m up!”</p><p>“We’ll report back when we find something.”</p><p>“Be careful.” Luther called to them as Five and Klaus moved to leave.</p><p>Ben lingered behind for a moment.</p><p>“I’ve missed you all.” He confessed; a bittersweet smile on his lips as he regarded them.</p><p>“It’s good to see you, Ben.” Allison answered with a bittersweet smile of her own as Diego nodded his agreement.</p><p>His image began to flicker, the thrumming energy—flowing and crackling like electricity through him—beginning to taper off as Ben added quickly before he disappeared. “We’ll talk later.”</p><p>(***)</p><p>In the end, the three of them found nothing—at least, nothing of importance to Five.</p><p>None of the bodies were of his siblings, something that was a huge relief the moment Ben reported his findings from the morgue—though he <em>was</em> curious to find out Cha Cha was among the deceased.</p><p>The police reports, he and Klaus scoured through—while Ben stood watch outside of the records room—didn’t offer much else that they didn’t already know.</p><p>Thirty-two witness reports, all stating the same thing. Men in masks, gunfire, a brief blue light and what could have been Ben’s Horror’s, and then a bright white light that blew out everything surrounding it.</p><p>“They think it might have been a bomb.” Five muttered quietly to Klaus, as he began to put everything back. “How stupid, bombs leave evidence.”</p><p>Klaus hummed. “Say’s here, they think it might be related to the shootout at Griddy’s.” he shoved his file at Five; watching as Five’s eyes skimmed over the writing before he put it back with everything else.</p><p>“At least we know Vanya is—”</p><p>“Someone’s coming,” Ben warned as he walked through the closed door.</p><p>At Klaus’ relayed warning; Five grabbed him, and in a blink, the two of them were back in the car a block away from the station.</p><p>Klaus dropped his head to the dashboard with a loud groan.</p><p>“Suck it up, it’s not that bad.” Five griped as he started the car.</p><p>Klaus gave him the finger in answer, as Ben chuckled from the back seat.</p><p>“Good news is, we won’t have to lay low.” Five continued, completely ignoring Klaus’ dramatics.</p><p>“And the bad news?” Klaus asked as he sat up to look at him.</p><p>The bad news was that Five was no closer to figuring out where their past selves could have gone, or what twisted game the handler was playing.</p><p>He didn’t say any of this aloud.</p><p>“We need to go back to the others.” He evaded as he pulled away from the curb. “Let them know what we found.”</p><p>Seeing the clear evasion for what it was, Klaus and Ben shared a disquieted look through the side-door mirror.</p><p>What was Five hiding now?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Haven't We Done Enough?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Five’s jaw ticked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>Diego snorted. “Course you don’t.”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(((Terribly sorry for the long wait everyone, it's been a busy two weeks at work, and it's only getting busier (so updates may be sporadic until things slow down). I also apologize for this being a short chapter, but the mood here didn't fit well with the mood of everything else I was writing, so I thought it best to just separate it.</p><p>Thank you so much for your patience, you all rock!</p><p>Anyway, enjoy!))))</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While Five, Klaus, and Ben were out checking the station; Luther finally revealed what he’d heard in the elevator to Diego, Allison, and Vanya—Raymond having excused himself beforehand to let them talk in private.</p><p>“They can do what now?”</p><p>“Was this something he could always do?”</p><p>“You sure that wasn’t just Klaus being Klaus?”</p><p>“Look, I don’t know the full story,” Luther answered in response to their rapid-fire questions. “And I highly doubt Ben will do it again, but—” he trailed off, not knowing how to broach the topic of his other concerns.</p><p>If Ben could possess Klaus so easily, wouldn’t that mean that <em>any</em> of the spirits could as well? Or had this been a one-off chance? An opportunity that was taken when Klaus had been least prepared for it? Would this be something Klaus could control over time? Or would this be just another power for him to fear?</p><p>The fact of the matter remained that Luther didn’t know the answer to any of those questions. How could he, when Klaus continued to unravel <em>everything </em>Luther once believed he’d already known about his brother’s powers?</p><p>“Look, just keep an eye on him, okay?” He said at last. “I don’t think he can control it, and—”</p><p>“Have you children seen—oh,” came a perplexed Grace; disrupting whatever Luther had been about to say as she wandered into the living room. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to interrupt."</p><p>“It’s okay, mom.” Diego answered immediately.</p><p>With the four of them already on edge with everything going on, seeing her confusion only set them off farther.</p><p>Vanya stepped forward; laying her hand upon Grace’s forearm. “Is something wrong?”</p><p>She nodded. “My suturing kit is missing and I was hoping one of you knew where it could have gone.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Luther perked up with his own confusion just as Vanya chimed in immediately after him.</p><p>“You think one of<em> us</em> took it?”</p><p>“Maybe you miss placed it, mom.” Allison offered weakly as she glanced at the others with mounting concern.</p><p>“I know exactly where I put it, and now it’s gone,” Grace answered resolutely with a shake of her head. “Some gauze and medical tape have also gone missing.”</p><p>The four shared another look.</p><p>“Who would need to steal medical supplies?” Diego questioned.</p><p>"Weren't you stabbed by dad?" Luther uttered off-handedly; watching as Grace immediately turned to Diego in alarm.</p><p>"It was cauterized closed, not stitched," He corrected; skirting around Grace's concern as he shot Luther a glare for ratting him out. "I'm okay, mom, honest."</p><p>"What about you?" Vanya turned toward Allison. “You did get into that fight yesterday; were you or Raymond injured?”</p><p>“We’re fine.” Allison assured. “The blood you saw wasn’t mine. And even if it was, I have no reason to hide anything.” she continued with a small huff; somewhat insulted by the implication.</p><p>“Five was also covered in blood yesterday.” Luther added.</p><p>“If one of us took it, my money's definitely on Five.” Diego nodded along. “Did you see anything when he was cleaning himself up at Elliott’s?”</p><p>“No, I—”</p><p>“Whoa, hang on a seco—”</p><p>“—I’m sorry, he was what?” Allison cut in sharply; overruling Vanya’s voice unintentionally. With pinched eyebrows, she rounded on her brothers and demanded. “What exactly <em>happened</em>?”</p><p>“He wouldn’t tell us,” Diego grumbled back irritably. “But it’s clear he fought someone for that briefcase.”</p><p>“Oh dear,” Grace tsked and drew their attention. “He shouldn’t be fighting at all in his condition.”</p><p>“What condition?” Luther asked slowly, his befuddlement growing even more—especially as Diego’s eyes suddenly widened.</p><p><em>“Shit, </em>the bastard’s still injured<em>.”</em></p><p>“<em>Language</em>, young man.”</p><p>“Sorry, mom.” Diego sheepishly muttered; ignoring Luther’s startled ‘<em>Still injured?’ </em>as he turned to Allison. “Remember when Five passed out? We were at Vanya’s psycho Ex’s place?”</p><p>“Wait, <em>what</em>?” Luther cut in again; eyes bouncing between the two. “When did this—”</p><p>“I have so many questions.” Vanya uttered, face a little pale at the mentioning of this <em>psychotic Ex</em> for the second time.</p><p>“We found that creepy shrine in the attic.” Diego continued on; completely talking over Luther and Vanya as if neither of the two had spoken.</p><p>“Did I know about this shrine?!” Vanya tried to cut in again; voice pitching an octave higher.</p><p>“No, you didn’t. I’ll explain everything to you, I promise.” Allison reassured before turning to Diego. “I think I vaguely remember the incident?”</p><p>“You <em>vaguely</em> remember?” Diego echoed with a raised brow of astonishment.</p><p>Allison narrowed her eyes. “Look It was a roug—” She froze abruptly with a gasp as the memory finally hit her. “The shrapnel wound!” she uttered; hand moving to cover her mouth in horror. “I had totally forgotten about that.”</p><p>“How could you forget about something like that?!” Luther exclaimed.</p><p>“Hey, that’s not fair.” Allison glared as she sniped back heatedly. “It was two years ago for me, and I was <em>a little</em> busy surviving the time period.” She pointedly ignored Luther’s grimace as she gestured toward Diego. “And what’s your excuse? You’d only been in Dallas for what—two months?”</p><p>Diego glared. “You weren’t the only one distracted, <em>sis</em>.”</p><p>“Now, now children.” Grace tried to cut in, but her voice was overruled by the derisive snort that came from Allison.</p><p>“Yeah, distracted by your own <em>stupidity</em>.”</p><p>“Guys, this isn’t helping anythi—”</p><p>“<em>How</em> is wanting to save a man’s life <em>stupid</em>?” Diego interrupted Vanya as he stalked closer to Allison.</p><p>“<em>I don’t know</em>,” she enunciated back with a sarcastic sneer. “I’m not the one who landed myself in the nuthouse.”</p><p>“<em>Enough</em>!” Luther roared; steeling his spine and refusing to cow under the intense glower both shot his way for the disruption. When neither picked the argument back up, Luther turned toward Grace with a strained smile. “We’ll talk to Five when he gets back, and have him return your kit.”</p><p>She nodded, with her too-wide smile firmly in place, and pivoted to leave. “Please let him know I’d like to see him as well.”</p><p>“Will do,” he replied; waiting until he could no longer hear her clicking heels on the hardwood. The moment Luther knew she was gone, his smile dropped as he whirled on the two with his own scowl. “Are you guys going to clarify what happened, or am I gonna have to keep asking?”</p><p>While they explained what they could remember—Allison giving the cliff notes version of Leonard’s <em>winning</em> personality to Vanya—Luther grew wearier and wearier by the second.</p><p>As if worrying about Klaus’ situation wasn’t enough; now they had Five hiding injuries on them—on top of the mountain of secrets Luther already suspected Five was holding onto?</p><p>“You know he’s not gonna listen, right?” Diego announced in the wake of the silence that fell between them all.</p><p>Luther internally groaned; shoulders sagging as the fatigue rooted itself deeper into his bones.</p><p>(***)</p><p>Five, Klaus, and Ben returned a little under an hour later.</p><p>As planned, the four of them waited until <em>after</em> the three had finished explaining what they had found; refraining from jumping down Five’s throat and tipping him off that something was wrong.</p><p>Or at least, they <em>tried</em>.</p><p>Luther wasn’t the only one in the family with a bad poker face, and Five was everything but stupid.</p><p>“Alright,” Five exhaled heavily. “What did you idiots do now?”</p><p>“It’s not what we did, it’s what <em>you </em>did.” Allison answered bluntly; unafraid and unapologetic as she stared Five down from her spot on the sofa.</p><p>"Really?" Five scoffed; sharp smile pulling at his lips as he met her gaze head-on. “And what <em>pray tell</em> did I do?”</p><p>“How about reinjuring yourself and not telling any of us about it?”</p><p>Klaus, and a still visible Ben, turned their full attention toward him at that.</p><p>“Seriously, Five?” Ben uttered incredulously.</p><p>Five’s jaw ticked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>Diego snorted. “Course you don’t.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell someone?” Vanya asked; cutting off the snide comment Five was about to make in retaliation.</p><p>“There wasn’t a need too.”</p><p>“Course there wasn’t,” Diego sniped again. “You know, I’m getting real tired of the secrets, Five.”</p><p>“Diego—”</p><p>“No!” He cut Luther off; eyes never straying once from Five’s scowling face. “I think after <em>everything,</em> we deserve to know this shit.”</p><p>“I don’t need your concern, <em>I’m fine.”</em> Five seethed out through gritted teeth.</p><p>“You're fine until you pass out again.”</p><p>“I don’t need to answer to you.” He gritted out once more. “I can take care of myself.”</p><p>“That’s the thing Five, you aren’t—”</p><p>“I don’t have time for this.” Five scoffed and disappeared in a blink.</p><p>“—alone anymore.” Luther finished lamely; as he, Allison, Ben, and Vanya sent Diego withering looks.</p><p>“Well,” Klaus tittered from his spot in the armchair. “If pissing him off was your end goal here, then congratulations; <em>job well-done</em> everyone.”</p><p>“Shut up, Klaus.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. We Rinse and We Repeat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Just give it a few days.” He repeated as he made his way out of the living room and toward the grand staircase.</p><p>“Fine,” Ben appeared at the top of the landing; arms crossed as he watched Klaus ascend. “But, if he still hasn’t said anything, then we’re doing it my—”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>((Once again, thank you so much for your patience, everyone! I really appreciate it. Things still haven't calmed down, so updates will continue to be sporadic. </p><p>I did have trouble writing this chapter. Just when I thought I was done, I had to scrap it and start over twice (which really, I'm happy it happened that way because the beginning scene, you're about to read, wasn't even in the plans originally).</p><p>Anyway, you've waited long enough. Enjoy chapter 7 everyone!!))</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The natural settling of wood and pipes, creaked and pinged throughout the mansion as the occupants of the household slept soundly.</p><p>All but two; the tip-tip-tap of fingernails on a hard surface, being drowned out by the ringing clatter of glass clinking together, and the wails of the dead, circling outside of the barrier.</p><p>The dim light of the living room lamp, illuminated the bar and Ben seated in front of it; his fingers continuing to absently drum away as Klaus loudly rummaged around in the cabinets by the wall.</p><p>“Get any louder and you’ll wake mom up,”</p><p>“I <em>really</em> don’t need commentary from the peanut gallery, tonight.” Klaus shot back, voice strained and irritated as he turned on his heel, rounded the bar, and dropped to his knees to continue his search in the cabinets beneath as he finished. “Especially if they aren’t being helpful.”</p><p>Normally Ben would have snarked back, but the events of the day turned over and over like a broken record inside of his head; the answers they had found only leading to more questions that frustrated him to no end.</p><p>If Ben were still alive, he was sure he’d have a killer headache right about now. Instead, he had the roiling turmoil of <em>Them</em> writhing away inside of him; their unease and frustration rivaling that of his own as both of them wanted answers—answers they simply weren’t going to get by sitting there.</p><p>The quiet tapping ceased as Ben drew his absent staring away from the window and toward the floor; a barefoot the only thing Ben could see from his vantage point.</p><p>“What do you think Five is keeping from us?” when Klaus didn’t respond—didn’t even acknowledge that he’d heard him at all—Ben slammed his open palm down upon the countertop. “Klaus?!”</p><p>Klaus didn’t even flinch at the loud noise above his head; never once pausing in his task as empty tumbler after empty tumbler was removed or pushed around in his search. “Come on Benny, isn’t it obvious? He—” he cut himself off with a short yip of glee; pulling himself, and the half-filled bottle of whiskey, out of the cupboard, and popped back up into Ben’s view. “Five’s clearly made a deal with his former employers, and doesn’t want the rest of us to know about it.”</p><p>“He came back with a briefcase to take us home.” Ben scoffed. “Does he seriously think we wouldn’t make that connection?”</p><p>“Five doesn’t expect a lot from <em>any of us</em>.” Klaus tittered; unscrewing the cap and taking a large swig from the bottle as he shot Ben a look—who rolled his eyes right back.</p><p>“Shut up, you know what I mean.”</p><p>“What’s the big deal, anyway?” Klaus inquired with his own scoff. “Whatever it is, he’ll tell us eventually.”</p><p>“And when will that be? When it starts becoming our problem too?” Ben argued. “He—” whatever he was going to say next, abruptly halted; his eyes widening and lips stretching upward as a sudden idea struck.</p><p><em>Oh no. No, no, </em>Klaus thought as he outwardly groaned. He hated that look; nothing good ever <em>came</em> from <em>that look</em>.</p><p>(Ben could vehemently argue the same.)</p><p>“Nope, not happening,” Klaus tutted sharply before Ben could even open his mouth to speak.</p><p>“Klaus—”</p><p>“Nuh-uh.” He shook his head and swiveled to escape from behind the bar.</p><p>Ben suddenly appeared to block his way. “You don’t even know what I’m about to say.”</p><p>“Don’t need too.” He shot back warily; refraining from walking straight through Ben like he would have done in the past—the fear of accidentally trigging another possession, making him take a small step back instead. “I already know I’m not going to like it.”</p><p>“Klaus, this could affect all of us. We<em> need </em>answers.” Ben continued anyway. “And if Five isn’t going to tell us on his own,” he gestured widely to the loud, angry souls milling about behind the barrier. “Maybe<em> they</em> will.”</p><p>Klaus didn’t spare those souls a single glance, nor did he tell Ben that Five’s victims weren’t among them; the angry mob having disappeared hours ago and signaling Five’s obvious departure from the mansion—even if Klaus was the only one of the two that seemed to note it.</p><p>“If it bothers you that much, then go ask him yourself!” He countered. “He always did like you and Vanya better anyway.”</p><p>“After the shit-show from earlier? I doubt he’ll talk to anyone.” Ben shook his head.</p><p>“Then <em>you</em> talk to them; cause I’m not doing it.”</p><p>“They’ll only listen to you!”</p><p>“Still not doing it.”</p><p>“Klaus—”</p><p>“<em>Nope</em>.”</p><p>“Seriously Klaus?” Ben sneered with a shake of his head. “You’re pathetic.”</p><p>Klaus tittered sardonically in response; his hand—that held the whiskey—gesturing wildly toward his own chest. “I’m pathetic?”</p><p>“And <em>selfish</em>.”</p><p>“<em>You’re one to talk</em>.”</p><p>“Klaus, you have the ability to get answers and you’re not even going to try!”</p><p>“Cause it’s not our business!”</p><p>“<em>It is our business</em>!” Ben shot back with a heated scowl. “This could bite all of you in the ass!” He took a step closer with his finger raised; too lost in the argument to note as Klaus took yet another step away. “But you just want to sit back and wait for it to happen?”</p><p>“<em>Or</em>, we can wait for the little gremlin to cool down and then <em>ask him ourselves</em>!” Klaus was absolutely tired of sounding like a broken record with his siblings—first with Vanya’s situation three years ago and now this whole thing with Five. “Just give it a few days,”</p><p>“What if we don’t have a few days?”</p><p>This was not at all how Klaus saw his night going; eyes rolling nearly with his whole body in response to Ben.</p><p>All he wanted to do was take his found prize back up to his room and get lost in a pleasant cheek-numbing buzz. Instead, here he was, trapped behind the bar and having a conversation that would get them absolutely nowhere.</p><p>The fire-ant itch—the yearning for something stronger than the alcohol gripped tightly in his possession—burned a little bit stronger beneath his skin.</p><p>“Now you’re just being paranoid.”</p><p>“This isn’t paranoia, Klaus. This is me being <em>realistic</em>.”</p><p>Klaus huffed and eyed the space Ben was blocking; debating on hopping over the counter as he threw out, “Same difference.”</p><p>“No, it’s really not.”</p><p>
  <em>Fuck it.</em>
</p><p>He leapt up onto the bar and slid himself off on the other side; bare feet barely making a sound as they hit the floor.</p><p>“Just give it a few days.” He repeated as he made his way out of the living room and toward the grand staircase.</p><p>“Fine,” Ben appeared at the top of the landing; arms crossed as he watched Klaus ascend. “But, if he still hasn’t said anything, then we’re doing it my—”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,”</p><p>With a flippant wave of his Goodbye hand in Ben’s face as he passed; Klaus left the conversation at that and took himself and his half-filled prize back to his room for the remainder of the night.</p><p>(***)</p><p>By morning, Ben and Klaus weren’t the only ones to decide that leaving their brother alone—for the time being—was the best course of action to take. The rest had grudgingly decided to do the same— with Allison and Vanya forcing Luther and Diego to take a step back before they could make matters worse.</p><p>They were halfway through breakfast when two detectives showed up at their doorstep; citing it was a wellness checkup when they were asked. With Vanya’s apartment being included with the rest of the crime scene, it only made sense that they’d be looking for her; but just as Five, Klaus, and Ben had relayed, the police didn’t suspect her at all for the damage done.</p><p>Though they were concerned that she may be a possible target.</p><p>They gave the offer of protection—even implored her to take it—but Vanya turned it down; assuring the detectives that she and her siblings could handle it should anyone be after her.</p><p>Neither was willing to argue, not after a quick, side-eyed look at the hulking figure of Luther, or the confident reassurances from <em>the</em> Allison Hargreeves backing Vanya’s claim.</p><p>The question of getting her belongings had also been brought up just as the detectives were gearing to leave, but neither was sure when she’d be allowed to go inside the building—the stability of the structure still being tested before they could clear it for civilians again.</p><p>That very same day, all of Diego’s charges, involving Eudora’s death, were dropped; Beeman personally coming to deliver the good news himself.</p><p>And with Pogo beginning the diligent process of obtaining the legal documents they needed; estimating a month—more or less, depending on how fast Reginald’s old contacts operated—life continued on for the rest of them as they worked to find their new normal.</p><p>(***)</p><p>For Allison, her new normal was all about getting her life back under some semblance of control again; putting up the good fight and actually succeeding in the battle—and not even needing the use of her powers to do so.</p><p>Like moving her therapy sessions to the city.</p><p>While the task itself wasn’t a hard feat to accomplish; finding a good therapist who could see her as quickly as the coming Friday, posed more of a challenge than anything else—but by the skin of her teeth, she’d managed it.</p><p>She’d also managed to clear up any confusion and issues the court had with her missing her last two sessions—using Reginald’s death as the extenuating circumstance she knew they would accept.</p><p>And with the movers scheduled to ship her belongs next Tuesday, she found she could finally relax.</p><p>At least she<em> had </em>until she realized she needed somewhere to put everything.</p><p>“What exactly do you have coming next week?” Raymond asked as they stood in the doorway of her room.</p><p>“Not a lot, just essentials.”</p><p>Some of her clothing, for starters—needing more than the few things she had packed in her suitcase. Her dresser and wardrobe set—so she and Raymond would have a place to put their belongings, rather than cramming it into the existing one she already owned. And the full-sized bed—which would give them more floor space once they could get rid of the two twin frames currently situated in her room.</p><p>“And you’re sure all of it will fit in here?”</p><p>She eyed the space critically; tilting her head slightly as she imagined what the floor plan would look like, and nodded. “Yeah, I think it will.”</p><p>She knew she could make it work, her furniture wasn’t even that big or bulky; she just needed to get rid of the old things she no longer needed or wanted. Like the folded piles of clothing—she knew she couldn’t fit into anymore—sitting on the window seat, or the old wardrobe itself.</p><p>She eyed the walls next, bare of all her posters and magazine articles; something she had ripped down <em>immediately</em> the morning after coming back to 2019. Raymond’s amused expression—before he’d quickly curbed it—forever burned in her mind’s eye.</p><p>“Maybe we should repaint?” She recommended lightly; wrinkling her nose up at the faded color on the interior walls—only highlighted more by the clear outline of where all the pictures used to reside.</p><p>“Even the brick?”</p><p>“No, we can leave that be.”</p><p>She had always liked the exposed brick look of her room; feeling as though it gave the space character.</p><p>Raymond wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin resting upon her shoulder as he asked, “What color were you thinking?”</p><p>She leaned back into his embrace, head tilting to rest against his as she hummed in thought—too many choices floating around in her mind.</p><p>“I did love the color of our bedroom, but I’d like to save that for when we get <em>our own</em> place.” She mentioned; grinning when she felt his responding hum and the tickle of his beard as he quickly, but gently, placed a kiss upon her cheek. “I was thinking maybe a pastel green? Or something neutral, like a light grey or a light beige?” she shrugged. “What would you suggest?”</p><p>“I’m happy with whatever you pick.”</p><p>Allison rolled her eyes in fond exasperation. “That’s not the answer I’m looking for, babe.”</p><p>“Beige would be nice.” he relented with a chuckle.</p><p>“Beige it is.”</p><p>(***)</p><p>It didn’t take either of them that long to clear out and sort through all of Allison’s old things. Most of the odds and ends weren’t worth keeping; placing the majority in boxes to be donated and the rest in the trash—with Klaus snatching up the box of old clothing right out of Allison’s very hands in glee.</p><p>There were a few keepsakes; however, that Allison decided to pack away for herself— mementos filled with memories she didn’t have the heart to let go of—and trinkets she would eventually love to pass onward to Claire.</p><p>It was with her daughter in mind, that Allison decided to keep her old wardrobe and bed frame in the end; storing the items elsewhere in the academy to one day use in Claire’s future room—for when they finally got a place of their own.</p><p>The painting came next; but even after everything was said and done, Allison didn’t just stop there.</p><p>She didn’t know how long either of them would stay in the mansion, nor did she know how long it would take before either of them were ready to leave.</p><p>What she did know was her husband, and she knew him well enough to know that he’d want to be secure in a job before even thinking of moving out.</p><p>(They were a team after all. A duo that shared the burden of anything thrown their way; which<em> included</em> living expenses—even if Allison was more than capable of providing for them both.)</p><p>She also knew—despite knowing he would never outright complain—that sharing a space with ten other people; when both of them had been used to a whole house all to themselves, would take its toll on Ray eventually.</p><p>So, determined to give her husband the study he deserved; Allison nabbed one of the many rooms in the mansion and began to clear it out with help from Pogo and Grace—none of them wanting a repeat of valuable information getting into the wrong hands again. Past cleaning the space out and commandeering Reginald’s old desk—sanding and staining the wood to fit more to Ray’s taste—she left the rest of the decorating up to him.</p><p>And it was around this time, that the reno-fever—as Klaus jokingly called it—quickly caught hold of the rest of the household.</p><p>For Diego, he saw no reason to revamp his old room. Why bother putting in that kind of effort, when he already had a place of his own—not at all caring what the others thought about that place being the boiler room of a gym. As far as he was concerned, his room was fine as it was; serving it’s purpose well enough for whenever he’d visit.</p><p>So no, it wasn’t <em>his </em>room that he had decided to alter. Instead, he tackled the old man’s office; deciding that it was high time their mother finally got a space of her own.</p><p>With help, he and his siblings cleared the room out and spent an entire day painting the walls a pale turquoise blue; most of them wearing it more than the walls themselves; curtsey of Klaus and a mischievous Ben—who’d gone invisible, but not intangible, as Klaus’ power exhausted itself halfway through the task.</p><p>In the end, they’d had to refinish the wood after the paint fight—when Allison and Diego decided to get even. But as they placed Grace’s charging station, hung her beloved paintings up on the walls, and created an area for her to do and store her cross-stitching works; the finished product of their labor and the smile on her face made the mess well worth it.</p><p>(And if he and the rest of his siblings took great pleasure in tossing out most of Reginald’s things—at least what wasn’t deemed important—well, that was just an added bonus.)</p><p>It was an unspoken rule that their father’s bedroom was to be left unclaimed—no one really <em>wanting</em> to use the space for themselves even with the bastard dead and gone. Instead, they used it as extra storage and left it at that.</p><p>With all the rooms upstairs being used—or unfinished in the case of the attic—Vanya, Sissy, and Harlan remained in the rooms they’d claimed for themselves on the west wing of the main floor; taking the time to really personalize their separate spaces for themselves.</p><p>(Neither of the women was ready to share a bedroom quite yet; taking their relationship slow now that they actually had the time and freedom to do so.)</p><p>It was as the two of them were putting Harlan’s room together, with the windows open to let in the crisp April breeze, that Vanya remembered something of her old life. It wasn’t anything major, just flashes of her standing in what she assumed was her apartment; with the windows open and the sad, haunting melody of a violin ringing in her ears as she played—but it was a start.</p><p>A strong hope that maybe her memories would return with time.</p><p>For Ben, he didn’t feel comfortable reclaiming his old bedroom; not when it felt like he was walking into a time capsule—his belongings still arranged the way he had left it before he’d died. There were too many feelings, too many memories attached, that Ben didn’t have the energy—or the will—to unpack it all.</p><p>So, as an alternative, he chose a room downstairs and filled it with shelves and books and an armchair—his own private oasis in a household filled to bursting with strong personalities. Of course, his siblings didn’t always abide by that rule, but Ben couldn’t bring himself to care too much; feeling included and more grounded with reality then he’s had in the last seventeen years.</p><p>For Luther—and similar to Diego—there hadn’t been much in his old room that he wanted to revamp or get rid of. So, he decided to clear out the greenhouse; getting rid of the ruined makeshift tent, and fixing any insulation issues, and replacing any of the cracked windows.</p><p>He wasn’t at all surprised when Sissy joined him not long after to lend a helping hand—knowing the woman needed something familiar in a world that had become completely unfamiliar to her. It was as they worked and planned out what they needed for their year-round garden; that Luther quickly found a kinship with Sissy—past her just being his sister’s girlfriend. A friendship where—for once—Luther didn’t feel like he was being used.</p><p>(If things had ended differently—if Elliott hadn’t been killed—Luther wondered if a kinship with the man would have become reality versus a possibility.</p><p>He mourned not ever getting to know the answer to that question.)</p><p>Unlike everyone else, Klaus had absolutely no idea what he wanted to contribute to his own room, let alone their shared living spaces; any wild ideas he’d throw out, being shot down immediately.</p><p>Not like that ever stopped him before; random and bizarre trinkets and pieces of furniture suddenly appearing out of nowhere —much to a few of his siblings’ chagrin.</p><p>(And in all the chaos and distractions the past week and a half posed to all of them; Ben and Klaus’ agreement, went temporarily forgotten.)</p>
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